NEW TECH FOODS

Biokraft Foods has announced the winners of The Great Indian Cultivated Chicken Cook-Off, the country’s first culinary competition dedicated to cultivated chicken.

Hosted at the DY Patil School of Hospitality & Tourism Studies, the final brought together students from leading hospitality institutes, including Atharva College of Hotel Management, Patkar-Varde College, Kohinoor College of Hotel and Tourism Management Studies, and Magarpatta College of Hospitality.

Finalists prepared dishes showcasing both technical skill and creativity, with cultivated chicken as the central ingredient. The judging panel, led by chefs from the Western India Culinary Association (WICA), evaluated entries on hygiene, waste management, taste, texture, innovation and presentation.

The winners were:

• First prize (₹40,000 / approx. $460) – Isaa Patel, Patkar-Varde College

• Second prize (₹30,000 / approx. $360) – Shlok Khedekar, Patkar-Varde College

• Third prize (₹20,000 / approx. $230) – Vedika Sakpal, D.Y. Patil School

• Special Innovation Prize (₹10,000 / approx. $115) – Shravan Kadam, Kohinoor College

Biokraft Foods founder Kamalnayan Tibrewal said the competition fulfilled the company’s goal of taking cultivated meat “out of the lab and onto real plates,” adding that the creativity of the young chefs demonstrated the potential for a sustainable and ethical food future in India.

Alongside the cook-off, Biokraft hosted the Forkward panel series, which featured three discussions on the future of dining, the ethical and environmental implications of cultivated meat and balancing food tech innovation with consumer trust. Speakers included representatives from the Good Food Institute India, Humane World for Animals India and Merck Life Science, among others.

Selected winners will also visit Merck Life Science’s Bangalore facility to gain insight into food science innovations.

The event was supported by partners across media, ingredient supply, sustainability and technical services, including Nufoods Spectrum, Naagin, Chives, TWF Flours, Polka Pop, Amerging Technologies, Equinox Labs and multiple NGOs.

This year's competition coincided with Biokraft Foods' second anniversary. Founded in Mumbai in 2023, the biotech start-up develops cultivated chicken and other alternative proteins using 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering, and recently unveiled a cultivated trout fillet in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.