The National Culinary Challenge 2025 (NCC-2025) was hosted by NFCI at Pushpa Gujral Science City, Kapurthala, on January 31, 2025, bringing together over 1,023 participants from NFCI’s 24 Teams. This prestigious event celebrated India’s rich culinary heritage and demonstrated the immense talent within NFCI’s student community.
The competition was structured in three rounds: the first round challenged participants with the theme ‘Breakfast for Dinner,’ where they reinvented morning staples into evening dishes. The second round focused on ‘One-Pot Cooking,’ with rice as the key ingredient, testing participants’ skills in balancing flavours within a single dish. The final round, featuring the top 72 finalists, included competitions across various categories such as starters, main courses, beverages, and desserts, all inspired by regional thali cuisines.
The competition culminated with NFCI Hamirpur securing the first prize of ₹51,000, followed by NFCI Jalandhar in second place with ₹31,000, and NFCI Karnal in third with ₹21,000. Consolation prizes of ₹11,000 each were awarded to NFCI Varanasi and NFCI Solan. Special awards were presented for excellence in specific categories, with NFCI Mandi winning Best Beverage for their Chhattisgarhi Thali, NFCI Chandigarh taking home Best Starter for their Awadhi Thali, NFCI Ludhiana winning Best Main Course with their Sindhi Thali, and NFCI Amritsar being recognized for Best Dessert with their Navratri Thali.
The success of NCC-2025 is a direct reflection of the visionary leadership at NFCI, including Ms. Brijinder Kaur (Co-founder), Mr. Pemninder (Managing Director), Dr. Anjna Joshi (Director), Mr. Sanjeev Kumar (Director), Mr. Naveen Dua (Executive Director), and Mr. Pawan Ailawadi (HOD of Academics). Under their guidance, NFCI continues to set new benchmarks in culinary education and innovation, inspiring the next generation of chefs. As the event concludes, NFCI looks forward to NCC-2026, where the next wave of culinary brilliance will unfold.
