India’s Traditional Cuisine Finds New Voices As National Young Chef Competition 2.0 Connects Young Chefs With Industry

India’s diverse food traditions and regional flavours were showcased at the East Zone edition of ‘आँच’ – National Young Chef Competition 2.0, a national culinary platform organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) in collaboration with the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA), the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and the Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC). The competition was hosted at the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Bhubaneswar, bringing together promising young culinary talents from leading hospitality institutions across eastern India.

The six-month-long competition is being conducted through zonal rounds across different parts of the country, with the journey set to conclude with a grand finale in New Delhi in January 2027. Following the successful completion of the West Zone round in Pune, the competition moved to Bhubaneswar, where young chefs competed in a high-energy live cooking challenge focused on celebrating India’s regional cuisines through creativity, traditional knowledge and modern culinary techniques.

A total of six hospitality institutes and 10 teams participated in the East Zone round, presenting innovative interpretations of traditional Indian dishes while highlighting the richness of local food cultures. After a competitive cook-off, the teams from the Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata and ITI Kaushal College, Ranchi secured the top positions and earned the opportunity to represent the East Zone at the national grand finale in January 2027. The State Institute of Hotel Management, Balangir achieved the runner-up position.

The East Zone competition witnessed participation from several reputed hospitality institutions, including Gurunanak Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata, Institute of Hotel Management, Bhubaneswar, Institute of Hotel Management, Guwahati, Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata, ITI Kaushal College, Ranchi, and State Institute of Hotel Management, Balangir.

As part of the challenge, each competing team was required to prepare a complete traditional Indian menu within a time limit of two and a half hours. The menu included a variety of components such as a bhaja, main course, vegetable preparation, pulses or lentil dish, curd-based preparation, rice or bread, and a sweet dish. The format aimed to test the participants’ culinary skills, time management, presentation abilities and understanding of India’s diverse regional food heritage.

The judging panel for the East Zone round was led by Chef Anil Grover, a certified WorldChefs judge. The jury also included Chef Rangonath Mukherjee, Director of Olive’s Hospitality, and Chef Shivaji Majumder, Executive Chef at ITC Sonar, Kolkata. Chef Sudhir Sibal, Founding and Executive Board Member of IFCA, participated as the competition observer.

The National Young Chef Competition 2.0 continues to provide a platform for emerging culinary professionals to demonstrate their expertise while promoting India’s traditional cuisine, regional food identity and future hospitality talent. Through its nationwide zonal rounds, the initiative aims to strengthen culinary education, encourage innovation and connect young chefs with opportunities in India’s growing tourism and hospitality sector.

Sharing his thoughts on the competition, Chef Sibal remarked, “आँच is an important platform for young culinary professionals to showcase their skills, engage with experienced industry professionals, and explore India’s rich regional culinary heritage. The Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) has been playing a significant role in strengthening culinary education, professional standards, and opportunities for chefs, while fostering stronger connections between students, educators, and the industry. Initiatives such as आँच complement these efforts by encouraging young chefs to develop their skills, embrace India’s culinary diversity, and contribute to the growth of the culinary profession.”

Commenting on the competition, Chef Grover said, “The East Zone round was a wonderful showcase of culinary talent, with participants demonstrating impressive preparation, creativity, and commitment. The overall benchmark of the competition made the evaluation particularly challenging, with several teams leaving a strong impression on the jury.”

Mr. Sambit Suman, Principal-In-Charge, IHM, Bhubaneswar, said,“It is a pleasure for IHM, Bhubaneswar to host the East Zone round of PHDCCI’s आँच. We are proud to support an initiative that brings together aspiring culinary professionals and provides them with an opportunity to experience the standards and demands of a professional competition.”

‘आँच’ – National Young Chef Competition 2.0 has been launched as an exclusive platform for final-year students pursuing hospitality and hotel management courses across government institutions, private colleges, independent hospitality institutes and university departments. The competition aims to celebrate the richness of Indian cuisine by encouraging young culinary talents to explore its diverse flavours, traditional methods and evolving techniques. It also provides aspiring chefs with opportunities to connect with the hospitality industry, gain professional exposure and access internship and career pathways.

The East Zone round of ‘आँच’ – NYCC 2.0 received support from leading industry partners, including Tata Consumer Products, Tata Sampann, Veeba, Catch, Chefs Unlimited, Eastern India Culinary Association (EICA) and Purchasing Professional Forum – India (PPFI), strengthening the initiative’s connection between culinary education and the professional hospitality sector.