7th SICA Culinary Olympiad 2025

The Culinary Academy of India (CAI), Hyderabad, showcased outstanding culinary talent and emerged as one of the most successful institutes at the 7th SICA Culinary Olympiad & Exhibition 2025, held from September 19 to 21 at the Chennai Trade Centre. Endorsed by Worldchefs, the Olympiad attracted over 3,000 chefs from across South India along with international participants from Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Australia. Competing at such a prestigious platform, the students and faculty chefs of CAI brought home a remarkable number of awards and accolades across diverse categories.

This success was made possible under the expert mentorship of Chef Sudhakar N. Rao, Director & Principal, and Chef Akshay Kulkarni, Head of Operations, whose continuous guidance and leadership prepared the team to excel at an international level.

In the Butter and Margarine Sculpture category, Chef Omkar Wani received a Merit for creating a sculpture titled “Nature’s Hand,” while Chef Kiran Kumar was awarded a Merit for presenting “The Lady in Elegant Modern Art.” In the Creative Skilled Paratha competition, Chef Shubham won a Merit for preparing Rumali Parantha with finesse

In the Authentic Indian Regional Cuisine category, Divjyot Singh Chadha won a Bronze medal for presenting traditional foods of Kashmir, and Lakshmi Durga Prasad Chadha earned a Silver medal for showcasing authentic Lambadi cuisine. In Fruit and Vegetable Carving, Shristhi Mahima received a Merit for her representation of nature through intricate carvings

The Petit Fours and Pralines section saw Chef Annadurai win a Merit for creating fine-dine style petit fours, while Sanskriti Jung was also awarded a Merit for petit fours inspired by modern trends. In the Live Innovative Biryani Challenge, Chef Kiran Kumar achieved a Silver medal for preparing the Pottlam Tribal Doppudu Poothu Biryani.

The Artistic Pastry Showpieces category was one of the academy’s highlights, with Chef Ravi Kant Kumar winning a Bronze medal for his dark chocolate sculpture titled “Brainstorming Lady.” Md. Juned Kacchi received a Merit for crafting a detailed bird in dark chocolate, and Goda Alekhya earned a Merit for designing a white chocolate guitar with the theme “Mechanical Melody.” In Artistic Bakery Showpieces, Chef Ananda secured a Silver medal for a healthy breakfast bread display, while Shubham Rawat won a Silver medal for his contemporary bread creations.

In the Dress the Cake live challenge, Kunga Youdon received a Merit for her beautifully decorated book-shaped cake. In the Live Cooking Challenges for Western Cuisine, Chef Himanshu won a Silver medal for presenting an elegant fish mousse, while Shreyan Majumder also secured a Silver for creating a fine-dine style three-course meal. In the Asian Cuisine section, Chef Praveen won a Silver medal for replicating the concept of a bento box.

In the Live Dessert Challenge, Chef Attique achieved a Silver medal for his deconstructed ghevar, and Piyush Gupta received a Merit for his fine-dine style plated Swiss roll.

The event was judged by some of the most respected names in the culinary world. The National Jury Panel included distinguished experts such as Chef R. Selvaraju of IHCL, Chef Sudhir Pal, Mr. Vikram Cotah of GRT Hotels & Resorts, Chef Kasi Viswanathan, Chef Himanshu Shekhar Sahoo, Dr. Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham, Chef Vikram Simha Akula, Chef Nimesh Bhatia, Chef Abhiru Biswas, Chef Debaraj Bhaumik, Chef N. Kannan, Chef Ramu Butler, Chef Rumana Jaseel, Chef Gautam Mehrishi, Chef Ashok Pillai, Chef Dr. Nitin Shende, Chef Vikram S. Udaygiri, Chef Mohamed Siddiq, Chef George K George, Chef Yogendra Negi, Chef Ishaan Sarkar, Chef Rajeev Janeva, Chef K. Vivek Kadam, Chef Prasanna Ganesan, Chef Sanjeeb Ghatak, Chef Susheel Kumar, Chef K. Ramesh Yadav, Chef Aravind Raja, Mr. Arun Kumar, and Chef Anil Grover.

The International Jury Panel added immense credibility with celebrated global chefs and leaders such as Chef Thomas A. Gugler from Germany, Chef Manjit Singh Gill from India, Chef Gerad Mendis from Sri Lanka, Chef Mooroogun Coopen from Mauritius, Chef Daniel Schade from Germany, Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe from Australia, Chef Uwe Micheel from UAE, Chef Madhawa Weerabaddhana from Sri Lanka, Chef K. Vijaya Baskaran from India, Chef Baranidharan P. from India, Chef S.R. Bala from Singapore, Chef Mahendra from Singapore, Chef Marlyam Shiuna from Maldives, Chef Ibrahim Naeem from Maldives, Chef Siva Udhay from Australia, Chef Anand Ram from Singapore, Chef Shanmugam Rajoo from Malaysia, Chef Ignatius Ivan from Singapore, Chef Vivek Saggar from India, Chef Manisha Bhasin from India, Chef Madhusudan Gupta from India, Chef Sudhir Sibal from India, Chef Sabyasachi Gorai from India, and Chef Raghuprasad Pillai from UAE.

The achievements of CAI at this Olympiad reflect its strong commitment to producing globally competitive culinary professionals. The wide range of medals—from chocolate artistry to authentic Indian regional cuisines and modern international fine-dine concepts—demonstrates the versatility and excellence of CAI’s training. With mentorship from Chef Sudhakar N. Rao and Chef Akshay Kulkarni, the Culinary Academy of India continues to establish itself as the most sought-after destination for culinary education in India.

This victory strengthens CAI’s brand presence nationally and internationally, creating opportunities for collaborations, student recruitment, and industry partnerships. The success story not only highlights the capabilities of its students and faculty chefs but also reinforces the academy’s reputation as a leader in culinary innovation and excellence