Hyderabad: The Institute of Hotel Management, Hyderabad (IHM-Hyderabad), a central government institute under the Ministry of Tourism, ranked the third best institute, successfully; hosted the 4th Season of the Budding Events, comprising of National Budding Professional Competition (Manager) and National Budding Chef Competition, at its premises at DD Colony, Vidyanagar, Hyderabad. The four-day mega event, which concluded today, witnessed the participation of 8 teams in the Budding Professional and 13 teams in the Budding Chef from leading IHMs, SIHMs, and private hospitality institutes from across India and Hyderabad.
The grand inaugural ceremony was graced by Chef Sudhakar N. Rao – Director/Principal, Culinary Academy of India and a proud Alumnus of IHM-Hyderabad; Mr. Anirban Kundu, Food & Beverage Manager, Taj Deccan, Hyderabad; Mr. Sanjay Thakur, Principal/ Member Secretary, IHM-Hyderabad; Ms. Rachna Agashe, HoD, IHM-Hyderabad; Mr. Puneet Razdan, HoD, IHM-Hyderabad and other dignitaries. The inaugural also set the tone for the competitions with inspiring addresses and enthusiastic participation from students across the country.
Participants in the National Budding Professional (Manager) 2025 category competed across diverse and industry-relevant events, testing their problem-solving, creativity, and operational skills. The categories included Online Test; Pitcharest- F&B Business Plan; SoP Detective – Error Detection & Correction; Floresque – Ikebana Competition; Front Desk Showdown – Service Recovery Skills; Takeoff – Product Launch Competition; Hotel Ecothon- Digital Junior Suite Designing; Sell Me This Pen – Selling Tactics and Hustle – Cocktail Making Competition. Based on cumulative scores from these events, the prestigious titles of Mr. Budding Professional (Manager) and Ms. Budding Professional (Manager) were awarded to the most deserving candidates.
National Budding Chef 2025 – Competitions & Awards
The Budding Chef Competition featured intense rounds across multiple cuisines and themes, bringing out the best of India’s culinary student talent in Regional Indian Authentic Cookery; International Surprise Basket and Cake Decoration Competition. The rigorous competitions tested participants’ culinary creativity, technical precision, and ability to work under pressure, culminating in the announcement of the National Budding Chef 2025 Champion Team.
Valedictory Ceremony of National Budding Events 2025
The Valedictory ceremony hosted today, was attended by eminent industry stalwarts including Guest of Honour Celebrity Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi; Mr. Rubin Cherian, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC; Mr. Rohan George, Resident Manager, Green Park Hyderabad; Mr. John Biswas, Hotel Manager, Radisson Blu Banjara Hills; Chef Manpreet Singh Malik, Executive Chef, Taj Deccan and Mr.Sanjay Thakur, Principal/ Member Secretary, IHM-Hyderabad and gave away the prizes to the winners in the various categories. A key highlight of the event was the release of a Research Book on AI Trends in the Hospitality Industry, reinforcing IHM-Hyderabad’s commitment to innovation in hospitality education.
A series of vibrant cultural performances, including the recitation of mantras, Ganesh Vandana, soulful flute recitals, a Telangana folk dance (Bathukamma), and a thought-provoking Nukkad Natak on the theme of Swachhata added grandeur and depth to the evening, blending tradition, culture, and social awareness.