NEW DELHI: A hall at Pragati Maidan turned into a MasterChef-like stage as chefs and culinary students competed in dessert plating, chocolate artistry and contemporary cuisine during Culinary Art India 2026.

The competition was held as part of the 40th edition of the AAHAR–International Food & Hospitality Fair and witnessed intense contests over five days. Participants raced against time to transform ingredients into visually appealing and flavourful dishes, including chocolate showpieces, vegan cuisine and contemporary sushi platters. The event was endorsed by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS), with contestants travelling from Nepal, Thailand and the United States.

Over nearly two decades, Culinary Art India has evolved into one of the country’s prominent culinary competition platforms, providing chefs and hospitality students an opportunity to showcase their skills and benchmark themselves against international standards. Several prominent chefs attended the event, including Kevin Duthel, Amit Kumar, Vikram Khatri, Tarathip Nooriengsai and celebrity chef Ajay Chopra. Organisers said the exhibition attracted more than 1.5 lakh visitors, exceeding the pre-event estimate of over one lakh attendees. The exhibition was organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Speaking at the conclusion of the exhibition, Javed Ashraf said, “The strong participation reflects the growing opportunities in India’s food sector and the increasing interest in partnerships and trade,” adding that initiatives such as AAHAR support the vision of positioning India as a global hub for processed food.

The story is reported by Srestha Sarkar of The New Indian Express