Chef Rahul Karve Executive Sous Chef | JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar

A culinary professional driven by passion, precision, and the pursuit of extraordinary experiences, Chef Rahul Karve brings a dynamic journey spanning some of India’s most distinguished hospitality brands.

From beginning his career at The Taj Mahal Palace to shaping his craft across TajSATS, Renaissance Mumbai, Hyatt Pune, Sahara Star, and JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, Rahul has continually evolved as a chef, leader, and culinary storyteller. He also played a pivotal role as the Pre-Opening Head Chef at Moxy Mumbai, contributing to the launch of one of Marriott’s youngest and most vibrant properties in the city.

With a repertoire that spans Japanese, Continental, and Oriental cuisines, Chef Rahul is known for blending classical culinary foundations with contemporary thinking, creating experiences that are both refined and memorable. His journey has been marked by notable recognitions, including Youngest Chef of the Year 2021 by the Food Critics and Bloggers Association of India, Best Culinary Speaker by Toastmasters International, USA, and Rising Star of the Year by the International Hospitality Council, London. Beyond the kitchen, Rahul is an active voice in the culinary fraternity—judging national culinary competitions, conducting masterclasses, mentoring emerging talent, and representing the hospitality industry at leading platforms.

Theme for recipes Nouvelle Asian Evolution

MasterChef Shipra Khanna is an internationally acclaimed celebrity chef, author, television personality, entrepreneur, and culinary consultant. Best known as the winner of MasterChef India Season 2, she has established herself as one of India's most influential culinary experts, inspiring audiences through her passion for food, innovation, and storytelling.

With over a decade of experience in the food and hospitality industry, MasterChef Shipra has collaborated with leading national and international brands, tourism boards, hospitality groups, and food businesses to create engaging culinary experiences and impactful campaigns. Her expertise includes recipe development, menu consulting, food styling, culinary workshops, digital content creation, and brand partnerships.

A familiar face on television, MasterChef Shipra has hosted and judged several food and lifestyle shows, while also authoring multiple bestselling cookbooks that celebrate global and Indian cuisines. Her approachable cooking style and creative recipes have earned her a loyal following across digital platforms.

Passionate about promoting healthy eating, sustainable food practices, and regional Indian cuisine, MasterChef Shipra seamlessly blends traditional flavors with modern culinary techniques. Her authentic storytelling and strong digital presence make her a trusted voice for consumers and a preferred partner for brands across the food, FMCG, lifestyle, kitchen appliance, and hospitality sectors.

Today, MasterChef Shipra continues to inspire food enthusiasts worldwide while creating meaningful collaborations that connect brands with audiences through engaging, high-quality culinary content.

Chef Guntas Sethi is a Le Cordon Bleu London-trained pastry chef, recipe developer, food educator, and one of India's leading culinary content creators. Originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant, she pursued her passion for gastronomy by training in classical pâtisserie before building a successful career dedicated to making high-quality, creative cooking accessible to home cooks and food professionals alike.

Since 2022, Chef Guntas has served as an Official Food Ambassador for the European Union's "More Than Food – Enjoy, it's from Europe" campaign in India, promoting the quality, authenticity, sustainability, traceability, and safety of European agri-food products. In this role, she has led numerous consumer and trade masterclasses, live cooking demonstrations, workshops, media engagements, and educational campaigns showcasing how premium European ingredients can be seamlessly incorporated into Indian cuisine.

As an EU Ambassador, she has represented the campaign at major culinary initiatives, including collaborations with MasterChef India, where she introduced contestants and millions of viewers to European ingredients through the EU Mystery Box Challenge. She has also co-hosted the EU Tadka podcast series, participated in industry events, and co-authored the campaign cookbook "A Taste of Home with EU Tadka", celebrating the fusion of Indian culinary traditions with authentic European products.

Recognised for her approachable cooking style and engaging presentations, Chef Guntas regularly collaborates with leading food brands, hospitality professionals, and culinary institutions. Her work has earned her several accolades, including the NDTV Food Awards Readers' Choice – Best Food Content Creator (2025), and she has built a strong digital community by inspiring audiences with innovative, practical recipes and food storytelling.

Chef Ajay Chopra is one of India's most celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality consultants, television personalities, and culinary entrepreneurs. Best known as the host of MasterChef India and numerous popular food television shows, he has played a pivotal role in shaping India's modern culinary landscape. Through his consultancy, Zion Hospitality, he has successfully developed restaurants and hospitality concepts across India and internationally, while mentoring chefs and food businesses to achieve culinary excellence.

Born into a Punjabi family in Lucknow, Chef Ajay's passion for food began at an early age. A gold medallist from the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD), he built his career with some of India's leading luxury hospitality brands before becoming one of the country's most influential culinary voices. Alongside his television career, he is a bestselling author, digital content creator, and founder of The Big Daddy Chef, an initiative that encourages families to bond through cooking and inspires home cooks to explore new flavours.

Since 2022, Chef Ajay Chopra has served as an Official Campaign Ambassador for the European Union's "More Than Food – Enjoy, it's from Europe" campaign in India, promoting the quality, authenticity, safety, sustainability, and rich heritage of European agri-food products. In this role, he has led numerous masterclasses, live cooking demonstrations, trade events, media campaigns, and educational workshops for both consumers and HORECA professionals, demonstrating how premium European ingredients can be integrated into Indian cuisine while respecting local culinary traditions.

As one of the leading faces of the campaign, Chef Ajay has represented the European Union at major food and hospitality events, collaborated with importers, distributors, and chefs across India, and participated in high-profile initiatives such as the launch of the "More Than Food" campaign, the SIAL India programme, and the "A Taste of Home with EU Tadka" cookbook and podcast series. He has also taken part in culinary study visits across Europe, exploring European production methods, geographical indications, and food traditions, and sharing these experiences with Indian audiences to strengthen culinary exchange between Europe and India.

Niyati Rao: Head Chef & Partner, Ekaa, KMC, Nonna Mei, Ringo, and Bombay Daak

Chef Niyati Rao is the Head Chef and Partner behind Ekaa, KMC Bar & Bistro, Bombay Daak, Nonna Mei, and Ringo, a portfolio of distinctive hospitality concepts shaped by her ingredient-led philosophy, curiosity, and deep understanding of food and culture

Ekaa is a culmination of Chef Niyati Rao's extensive travels and profound culinary background, serving as the driving force behind the concept. Trained at the prestigious Taj Group of Hotels, Niyati honed her skills in some of Mumbai's most renowned restaurants, including The Zodiac Grill, Wasabi by Morimoto, and A Reverie. Seeking to elevate her craft further, she ventured to Copenhagen for a transformative stint at Noma, hailed as the World's Best Restaurant.

Upon her return to Mumbai in 2020, Niyati envisioned leveraging her experiences at Noma to revolutionise the Indian culinary landscape. After thorough research and reflection, she conceptualised Ekaa, a restaurant whose cuisine is inspired by people, cultures, and ingredients.

Her passion for creating an unparalleled dining experience culminated in a year of dedication and meticulous effort, bringing Ekaa to life. Central to Ekaa's philosophy are the influences of ingredients, seasons, childhood memories, travel, and the shared journeys of the team. Along with her co-founder, Niyati embarked on a mission to redefine the Indian dining experience, combining her vision with the team's collective passion.

Bombay Daak, an elevated daaru & chakna bar, is Chef Niyati's contemporary interpretation of India's deeply personal drinking culture. Rooted in memories, regional drinking traditions, and the food that accompanies them, the Bandra bar brings together stories, recipes, and flavours from across the country in a space that feels nostalgic yet distinctly its own.

KMC Bar & Bistro brings Chef Niyati's culinary sensibility into a more relaxed, convivial setting, with a focus on European bistro cooking, hearty plates, classic cocktails, and the pleasure of gathering around a table. Across its Fort, Pirojshanagar and NMIA spaces, the concept balances familiarity with thoughtful, ingredient-led touches.

Nonna Mei, nestled in Shillong, brings together two worlds that are deeply meaningful to Chef Niyati: Italy and Meghalaya. Built around the idea of “Nonna” and “Mei”, meaning grandmother in Italian and Khasi, the restaurant brings Italian techniques and ingredients into conversation with the produce, flavours, and food traditions of Meghalaya.

Ringo, her newest venture, extends this curiosity into baking. The artisanal bakehouse and viennoiserie concept is warm, playful, and refined, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, handcrafted technique, and the simple pleasure of well-made bread and pastry.

Chef Niyati's approach is rooted in quiet intensity, deep thought, and an unwavering respect for ingredients. At Ekaa, this philosophy finds its clearest voice, where a single ingredient becomes the starting point for exploration, emotion, and storytelling. Her cooking is never about excess; it is about clarity, intention, and allowing flavours to speak honestly.

With an instinctive understanding of technique and balance, Chef Niyati approaches food with both discipline and sensitivity. She listens closely to what an ingredient wants to become, considering its season, origin, and character, and builds dishes that are thoughtful, layered, and deeply personal. Every plate reflects her belief that food is not just nourishment, but a medium for connection, memory, and curiosity.

Chef Niyati's innovative approach has garnered significant recognition. She was featured in the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list, followed by Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 list for her pioneering work in the Food and Beverage Industry. She was also honoured with the Excellent Award at The Best Chef Awards in 2024 and 2025, and ranked No. 5 on FoodSuperstars: India's Top 30 Chefs 2024 by Culinary Culture Co. In 2026, she was awarded Culinary Disruptor of the Year by Travel + Leisure India, further recognising her contribution to India's evolving culinary landscape.

Chef Niyati's collaborative practice has taken her across India and internationally, where she has created experiential, ingredient-led menus shaped by the character of each destination and the people she collaborates with. From intimate restaurant pop-ups and hotel residencies to multidisciplinary cultural festivals, these experiences allow her to explore new ingredients, techniques, memories, and ways of telling stories through food.

At Tasmania's Dark Mofo Festival 2025, Chef Niyati represented India at the festival's Winter Feast as its first guest chef from India, collaborating with Craig Will and the team at Stillwater. Together, they created an eight-night dining experience that brought Indian flavours into dialogue with Tasmanian produce, using ingredients such as sea urchin, wallaby, whisky, honey, and pandan to build a menu rooted in both places.

At Palate by Design, a multidisciplinary platform bringing together design and gastronomy, Chef Niyati collaborated with designer Sarah Choudhary on an immersive dining experience where her farm-to-table philosophy became part of the spatial and culinary narrative. The collaboration explored how food and design can work together to create a complete sensory experience.

At Chaat, Hong Kong, a Michelin-starred restaurant, Chef Niyati presented her cuisine in an international setting, bringing her ingredient-first approach and contemporary interpretation of Indian food to a new audience. The collaboration extended the language of Ekaa beyond India while retaining her focus on Indian produce, memory, and regional influences.

At Tambu, Phuket, Chef Niyati joined Chef Saurabh Sachdeva for a four-hands dinner, creating a shared menu that brought together their distinct culinary perspectives. The experience became a conversation between two kitchens, allowing her ingredient-led Indian cooking to meet Tambu's own contemporary approach to South Asian cuisine.

At The Gathering 2026 in Mumbai, Chef Niyati partnered with design duo Abraham & Thakore to explore the relationship between food and India's textile heritage. Across two nights at Kamala Mills, she presented a fabric-inspired tasting menu that drew from weaving traditions including Kasavu, Chanderi, Khadi, Pashmina, Paithani, and Chikankari, translating the language of textiles into ingredients, flavours, and culinary narratives.

Her most recent international collaboration took her to Cinnamon Life, Sri Lanka, where she joined Chef Rijul Gulati of Indian Accent for an experiential tasting menu marking the anniversary of Indiya. Together, they presented specially curated vegetarian and non-vegetarian tasting menus that brought two distinctive Indian culinary perspectives to the table.

These collaborations reflect her ability to move comfortably between intimate dining rooms, large-scale festivals, and luxury hotel kitchens while retaining a clear and recognisable culinary voice.

Beyond the kitchen, Chef Niyati is a TEDx speaker and has represented India at #50BestTalks, sharing her perspectives on ingredients, fermentation, and the future of Indian cuisine. Her work continues to position her as a distinctive voice in India's evolving culinary landscape.

Across all her outlets and collaborations, the same passion remains constant. Whether refining a dish, developing an ingredient-led menu, or shaping an entire dining experience, her love for food is evident in the smallest details. It is this sincerity, combined with skill, restraint, imagination, and an ability to create experiences across contexts, that defines Chef Niyati Rao's journey and makes her ventures not just restaurants, but expressions of her culinary voice.