IHM Hyderabad hosts fifth national budding hospitality talent competitions

The Institute of Hotel Management, Hyderabad (IHM-Hyderabad), hosted the fifth season of its National Budding Events, comprising the National Budding Professional (Manager) Competition and the National Budding Chef Competition. The four-day event saw participation from 16 teams in each category, representing IHMs, State Institutes of Hotel Management (SIHMs) and private hospitality institutions across the country.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Sanjay Thakur, Principal and Member Secretary of IHM-Hyderabad; Rachna Agashe, Head of Department; and Puneet Razdan, Head of the Food and Beverage Service Department.

The National Budding Professional competition featured events designed to assess participants’ operational knowledge, communication, creativity and problem-solving skills. The activities included an online test, front desk service recovery, hotel revenue analysis, sales techniques, hotel marketing, food and beverage menu planning, cocktail making, digital suite design and Ikebana. Gautham Anand of Regency College, Hyderabad, was named Budding Professional 2026, while Pratishtha Singh of IHM Goa received the Ms. Budding Professional title.

The runners-up were Giridhar Sidhant of IHM Bhubaneswar and Kirttiparnna Swain of IHM Chennai, respectively. The National Budding Chef competition included three events: Regional Authentic Indian Cookery, International Surprise Basket and cake decoration. These rounds assessed participants’ culinary skills, creativity, technical execution and ability to work under time constraints.

Chrislin Rose and Katta Nitin Srinivasarao of IHM Goa were declared the overall champions of the National Budding Chef 2026 competition. The duo also secured first place in Regional Authentic Indian Cookery and the cake decoration event, titled “Let the Cake Tell Your Story”.

In the International Surprise Basket category, Mandadi Venkata Harishwar and Naeem Ansari of IIHMCA Hyderabad secured first place. Mohammed Hyder Ali and Manthan Gangadhar Bahadure of CAI Hyderabad were runners-up, while Veer Parashar and Sarvesh Bhingare of IHM Mumbai received second runner-up recognition.

The valedictory ceremony was attended by celebrity chef Rahul Wali as Guest of Honour, along with hospitality industry representatives from Lemon Tree Hotels, Taj Deccan, Marriott Executive Apartments, Green Park Hyderabad and Novotel HICC. Sanjay Thakur also attended the closing ceremony.

The programme included cultural performances featuring mantra recitation, Ganesh Vandana and a street play on the theme of Swachhata. The event concluded with the presentation of awards across the professional and culinary categories, recognising the participants’ performances during the competitions.

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Arti Adke

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Arti Adke, hailing from a respectable family with strong principles, pursued her passion for journalism. She is a Senior Sub-Editor and Senior Reporter, leading the Education and Food pages. Arti's journey in our organization continues to thrive as she strives for journalistic excellence.

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