Mumbai is set to host the inaugural edition of The Great Indian Feast Trail (GIFT), a three-day culinary and cultural festival bringing together more than 45 chefs, 100+ curated kitchens, 400+ signature dishes and 13 immersive zones at Jio World Garden from November 27–29, 2026.

Moving beyond the conventional food festival format, GIFT will explore India's culinary heritage through regional cuisines, indigenous food traditions, temple kitchens, royal recipes and community-led food practices. The experience will bring together chefs, traditional cooks and cultural practitioners, offering visitors an opportunity to discover the country's diverse food traditions alongside its craftsmanship and cultural stories.

Celebrated Chefs Bring Regional Culinary Traditions

The festival will feature several prominent culinary personalities, including Chef Ajay Chopra, Founder and Director of Zion Hospitality and author; Chef Vicky Ratnani, celebrity chef and food connoisseur; Chef Varun Inamdar, chef, consultant, chocolatier and author; and Chef Suresh Pillai, British chef and restaurateur of Indian origin.

Through curated experiences and masterclasses, the chefs will showcase culinary techniques, regional influences and distinctive food traditions associated with their work. Their participation will form part of a wider programme that brings together established culinary professionals and lesser-known food cultures from across India.

Exploring Temple, Tribal and Royal Food Traditions

One of the festival's key experiences will be the Temple and Sattvic Trail, led by Gauranga Das, senior ISKCON spiritual leader, author and director of Govardhan Ecovillage. Featuring 16 recipes from temples across India, the trail will explore the culinary traditions of temple kitchens and the relationship between food, devotion and spirituality.

The festival will also bring cooks from tribal communities into the spotlight, allowing visitors to experience food traditions preserved and practised across generations. Another distinctive showcase will focus on India's royal kitchens, presenting recipes and culinary practices historically associated with royal households.

13 Zones Across India's Culinary Landscape

GIFT's 13 immersive zones will take visitors through different regional food cultures and culinary traditions.

The Himalayan Trail will feature Kashmiri Wazwan by Chef Varun Inamdar, Kashmiri Pandit and Hadaki food by Akanksha/Brothers Homestay, along with mountain cuisines represented by Himachali Rasoi and Darjeeling Kitchen.

The Royal and Heritage Trail will explore recipes associated with India's royal kitchens, including Rajasthan's hunting fare and the culinary traditions of Rampur. The showcase will feature Royal Repast and the Rampur Pop-up.

Beyond the food experiences, the festival will include interactive activities, live demonstrations and cultural programming celebrating India's artistic traditions, craftsmanship and community stories. These elements are intended to extend the experience beyond dining, connecting visitors with the people and traditions behind the country's culinary heritage.

Food Curation Meets Documentary Storytelling

The festival is presented in partnership with Greed Goddess Media and Gourmet Tales Co. (GTC).

GTC is a food curation and experience management agency led by Ruchi and Sumit, with food curator and strategist Preet Sanghvi bringing experience across more than 250 events. The agency focuses on food-led experiences and event curation.

Greed Goddess Media, the culinary partner, is a boutique production house led by two National Award-winning filmmakers. Its work includes research-led documentaries and series exploring India's people, traditions and lesser-known stories, with a focus on food, travel and immersive cultural experiences.

Taking India's Food Stories to Global Audiences

With Mumbai as its inaugural destination, The Great Indian Feast Trail has plans for future editions in London, Dubai and Singapore. The proposed expansion seeks to take India's regional food traditions and community-led culinary knowledge to international audiences.

By bringing together celebrated chefs, traditional cooks, indigenous communities and heritage kitchens, GIFT positions food as an entry point to exploring India's wider cultural identity.

Event Details

• Event: The Great Indian Feast Trail (GIFT)

• Venue: Jio World Garden, Mumbai

• Dates: November 27–29, 2026

• Scale: 13 immersive zones, 100+ curated kitchens, 45+ chefs and 400+ signature dishes

About The Great Indian Feast Trail

The Great Indian Feast Trail (GIFT) is a culinary and cultural festival celebrating India's regional cuisines, food heritage and community traditions. Its inaugural edition will bring together chefs, traditional cooks, curated kitchens and cultural experiences across 13 immersive zones. The festival seeks to create a platform for discovering regional food traditions, forgotten recipes and community-led culinary knowledge.

Mumbai-based dairy brand Punjab Sind is expanding beyond paneer with its entry into the artisanal ice cream segment, introducing a range of small-batch flavours made using quality milk and Italian ingredients. The move marks another step in the family's effort to build a broader dairy portfolio while drawing on its experience in dairy production.

The brand's journey began with Jagjit Singh Bajaj, who established the family's paneer business. His son, Jasvinder Singh Bajaj, subsequently gave the business a distinct brand identity and developed its market presence. The name Punjab Sind draws inspiration from Mumbai's Khar neighbourhood in the 1990s, when Punjabi and Sindhi communities formed an important part of the area's cultural and food landscape.

With its new ice cream range, Punjab Sind is bringing its understanding of dairy into another category. The products are made in small, fresh batches using Italian machinery, with an emphasis on ingredient quality, consistency and texture. Their higher-fat composition gives the ice creams a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Each scoop contains approximately 5–10 grams of protein, although the range is positioned primarily as an indulgent dessert rather than a health-focused product.

A Range of Familiar Favourites and New Flavours

The collection includes Melon, Tiramisu, Biscoff, Wild Berries and Malai Kulfi, alongside familiar choices such as Vanilla and Mango, the latter made with Alphonso mango. Other options include Coffee, Chocolate, Hazelnut and Pistachio, as well as Raspberry and Mixed Berry Sorbets.

The brand is also exploring ways to incorporate ice cream into more elaborate dessert creations. One example is the Milky Way Sundae, which pairs malai ice cream with warm milk cake. The combination brings together contrasting temperatures and textures while drawing on familiar dessert flavours.

Punjab Sind plans to keep the range evolving through seasonal fruit flavours, creations inspired by Indian mithai and other experimental combinations.

Speaking about the brand's expansion, Jasvinder Singh Bajaj said, "Our journey began with my father, Jagjit Singh Bajaj, who started our paneer business, and I have always believed in carrying that legacy forward while finding new ways to serve our customers. With our artisanal ice creams, we wanted to bring the same commitment to quality into a new category, using real milk, rich cream and authentic ingredients without compromising on taste or texture. Made in small batches, each flavour reflects our belief that good dairy takes time, care and craftsmanship. For us, ice cream is more than a dessert; it is about creating moments of happiness and sharing something we truly believe in. As we grow, our aim is to keep innovating while holding on to the values that have shaped Punjab Sind across generations."

Paneer and Other Dairy Categories

Alongside its ice cream launch, Punjab Sind is preparing to introduce new packaging and an improved recipe for its high-protein paneer around Dussehra. According to the brand, the revised formulation will provide 7–10 grams of protein in every 200-gram pack, while retaining the soft texture and familiar taste of paneer.

The company says the new formulation is intended to offer a protein-rich option that remains suitable for everyday cooking, without the firm or dense texture sometimes associated with high-protein paneer.

Looking ahead, Punjab Sind plans to explore additional categories, including sweets, pickles and bakery products. The developments form part of its broader strategy to evolve from a paneer-focused business into a more diversified dairy and food brand.

Delhi's dining scene has a new coastal address with the opening of HUNGRY HOPPER in Vasant Vihar. Founded by hospitality entrepreneur Jai Batra and Malika Chawla Batra, the restaurant brings together the food traditions of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka through a menu centred on appams, hoppers, regional curries and seafood.

The 30-seater restaurant marks the founders' entry into a focused coastal dining concept, with plans to open four to five additional outlets over the next three years. The expansion strategy is intended to take the brand's regional food offering to a wider audience while retaining its culinary identity.

The idea behind HUNGRY HOPPER grew from the founders' shared appreciation for appams and hoppers, coastal cooking and their pairing with seafood. Its menu draws on the coconut-led preparations of Kerala, Tamil Nadu's robust spice profiles and Sri Lanka's distinctive tangy flavours.

At the centre of the offering are plain, butter and egg hoppers, flat appams, neer dosa and string hoppers. These are paired with regional curries such as Jackfruit Kari, Coastal Chicken Kari, Prawn Kari and Crab Moilee.

Other menu highlights include Fort Cochin Pepper Jumbo Prawns, Kanyakumari Pepper Crab, Kerala Fish Fry and Kothu Roti. Vegetarian options include Malabar Jackfruit Cutlets and Chettinad Mushroom Parotta Tacos. Regional rice preparations, including Thalassery and Vaniyambadi biryanis, add further variety to the menu.

The dining experience is centred on generous, uncomplicated meals, with guests encouraged to explore different hopper-and-curry combinations, share dishes and eat with their hands. The format places familiar regional food traditions at the heart of the restaurant's proposition.

Speaking about the brand's long-term plans, Jai Batra, Founder, HUNGRY HOPPER, said, "I have always felt that the real measure of a restaurant is not the attention it receives when it first opens, but the place it earns in people's lives over time. That comes down to the decisions made every day, how a team works, how standards are maintained and how thoughtfully the business evolves. We are approaching HUNGRY HOPPER with that long-term perspective. The ambition is to build a brand with its own identity and the discipline to grow without losing sight of what it stands for."

Malika Chawla Batra, Co-Founder, HUNGRY HOPPER, added, "With the launch of HUNGRY HOPPER, we wanted to introduce Delhi to the diversity of coastal food cultures in a way that feels approachable yet distinctive. My background in design and culinary arts has shaped how I look at food, not just as a collection of flavours, but as an expression of culture, craft and identity. I hope this becomes a place that encourages people to discover something new and see these cuisines from a fresh perspective."

A unit of M.J. Hospitality, HUNGRY HOPPER brings a regional coastal dining proposition to Vasant Vihar. Its planned expansion will depend on building a recognisable brand identity while taking its interpretation of South Indian and Sri Lankan food traditions to more diners.

Restaurant Details

• Brand: HUNGRY HOPPER

• Founders: Jai Batra and Malika Chawla Batra

• Location: First Floor, C-15, Vasant Vihar, C Block Main Market, New Delhi – 110057

• Timings: 12:30 PM–3:30 PM and 7:00 PM–11:00 PM

• Seating: 30 covers

• Expansion Plans: Four to five additional outlets over the next three years