The National Budding Professionals-2026 are Mr. Gautham Anand, Regency college, Hyderabad & Ms. Pratishtha Singh, IHM Goa and National Budding Chef 2026, Overall Champions are Ms. Chrislin Rose & Mr. Katta Nitin Srinivasarao (IHM GOA).
Hyderabad, October 26, 2026: Institute of Hotel Management, Hyderabad (IHM-Hyderabad) – a central government institute under the Ministry of Tourism, ranked the third best institute, successfully hosted the 5th Season of the Budding Events, comprising of National Budding Professional Competition (Manager) and National Budding Chef Competition. The four-day mega event witnessed the participation of 16 teams each in the Budding Professional and the Budding Chef from leading IHMs, SIHMs, and private hospitality institutes across India and Hyderabad.
The grand inaugural ceremony was graced by Mr. Sanjay Thakur – Principal/ Member Secretary, IHM-Hyderabad; Ms. Rachna Agashe, HoD, IHM-Hyderabad and Mr. Puneet Razdan, HoD (F&B Service), IHM-Hyderabad. The inaugural also set the tone for the competitions with inspiring addresses and enthusiastic participation from students across the country.
National Budding Professional (Manager) 2026 – Competitions
Participants in the Budding Professional (Manager) category competed across diverse and industry-relevant events, testing their problem-solving, creativity, and operational skills. The Categories included:
Online Test, Front Desk Showdown- Service Recovery Skills, Revenue Rumble-Deciphering Room Metrics, Sell Me This Pen- Selling Tactics, TAKEOFF – A Hotel Marketing Challenge , Curated Cuisine Combat-F&B Menu Planning, Potion Playoff-Cocktail making competition, Beyond Blueprint-Digital Suite Designing and Floresque- Ikebana 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 2026 – 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 2026 Champion Team
AWARDS & FELICITATIONS
During the Valedictory Ceremony, the following awards were given to winners across competitions
National Budding Professional (Manager) 2026, Awards
PRIMARY AWARDS
- Mr. Budding Professional (Winner): Mr. Gautham Anand, Regency college, HYD
- Mr. Budding Professional (Runner-up): Mr. Giridhar Sidhant, IHM Bhubaneswar
- Ms. Budding Professional (Winner): Ms. Pratishtha Singh, IHM Goa
- Ms. Budding Professional (Runner-up): Ms. Kirttiparnna Swain, IHM Chennai
- Topper (FO): Mr. Dodla Pravruth Ram, IIHMCA HYD
- Topper (HK): Ms. Soumya Bolloji, Regency HYD
- Topper (F&B): Mr. Sabrish S., IHM Chennai
- Topper (Sales & Marketing): Ms. Punnya Teresa Joseph, CAI HYD
PERSONALITY AWARDS
- SMILE – Ms. Ajmiya Ismail (IIHMCA, HYD)
- DEMEANOUR – Mr. Rudransh Singh Rajput (SIHM Jabalpur)
- PERSONALITY – Mr. Syed Ghouse Mohiuddin (CAI HYD)
National Budding Chef 2026, Awards
PRIMARY AWARDS
Overall Champion: Chrislin Rose, Katta Nitin Srinivasarao (IHM GOA)
International Surprise Basket
- Winner: Mandadi Venkata Harishwar, Naeem Ansari (IIHMCA HYD)
- Runner-up: Mohammed Hyder Ali, Manthan Gangadhar Bahadure (CAI HYD)
- 2nd Runner-up: Veer Parashar, Sarvesh Bhingare (IHM Mumbai)
Regional Authentic Indian Cookery
- Winner: Chrislin Rose, Katta Nitin Srinivasarao (IHM Goa)
- Runner: Laxmi Naik, Ashuman Bhoi (SIHM Balangir)
- 2nd Runner-up: Aniket Pal, Abhisek Giri (IHM Bhubaneswar)
Let The Cake Tell Your Story
- Winner: Chrislin Rose, Katta Nitin Srinivasarao (IHM Goa)
- Runner: Rukaiya Khatun, Shiny Angela D. (IHM Chennai)
- 2nd Runner-up: Bhumika Singh Rathore, Ankit Kumar Tandon (SIHM Raipur)
PERSONALITY AWARDS
- SMILE – Mr. Mohit Sharma, IHM Shimla
- DEMEANOUR – Ms. Rukaiya Khatun, IHM Chennai
- PERSONALITY – Mr. Anshuman Bhoi, SIHM Balangir
Valedictory Ceremony of National Budding Events 2025.
The closing ceremony was attended by eminent industry stalwarts; Guest of Honour Celebrity Chef Rahul Wali; Mr. Arun Gupta, Area Director (Operations), Lemon tree Hotels, Hyderabad, Alumnus IHM-Hyderabad; Mr. Arnab Gupta, General Manager, Taj Deccan, Hyderabad; Mr. Ashwin Vaidya General Manager, Marriott Executive Apartments, Hyderabad; Mr. Jitendra Nakhwa, General Manager, Green Park Hyderabad; Mr. S.V. Satyam, Director of People & Culture, Novotel HICC, Hyderabad and Mr. Sanjay Thakur, Principal/ Member Secretary, IHM-Hyderabad.
