Across boardrooms, kitchens, and entrepreneurial ventures, women are reshaping the contours of India’s food and hospitality landscape. They are redefining industry benchmarks, reimagining Indian cuisine globally, and steering the growth of some of the country’s most impactful food businesses.
In this inaugural edition of Leading Women in Food & Hospitality 2025, The Restaurant Times recognizes and celebrates a distinguished cohort of women whose work exemplifies excellence, leadership, and transformation within the Indian food and hospitality ecosystem.
Divided into three defining categories—Executive Leadership, Founders & Entrepreneurs, and Culinary & Operational Excellence—this curated list reflects the diversity of roles and the depth of influence that women bring to the table in one of the world’s most complex and dynamic industries.
Executive Leadership:
These women sit at the helm of major organizations, overseeing critical functions that shape public perception, commercial strategy, and long-term brand value. Their contributions are both visible and foundational to the institutions they represent.
Shruti Shibulal
Shruti Shibulal exemplifies the convergence of responsible leadership and progressive hospitality. As the driving force behind Tamara Leisure Experiences, she has championed a values-first approach, integrating sustainability, gender equity, and long-term ecological responsibility into every touchpoint of the guest experience. Her bold emphasis on ESG frameworks, combined with a deep belief in stakeholder inclusion, has redefined luxury for the conscious traveler. Under her leadership, Tamara has expanded its footprint with a purpose-driven vision that transcends conventional growth metrics. Shruti’s philosophy anchors business success in the well-being of people and the planet—an ethos that’s turning heads globally.
Christine Samandari
Christine Samandari’s journey with L’Opéra is one of precision, perseverance, and Parisian finesse. From introducing Delhi to its first authentic French patisserie to building a brand that’s synonymous with quality and elegance, she has curated a culinary empire that upholds the highest standards of craft and consistency. A stickler for detail and quality, Christine’s leadership has helped L’Opéra scale across cities while staying rooted in artisanal excellence. In a market often swayed by trends, Christine stands tall for timelessness.
Priya Paul
A pioneer of boutique hospitality in India, Priya Paul has redefined urban luxury with The Park Hotels. She has infused art, design, and contemporary culture into hospitality, carving a niche that celebrates both individuality and inclusivity. Her leadership is grounded in creativity, but also in astute business acumen, transforming The Park into a benchmark for boutique experiences in India. A Padma Shri awardee, Priya champions causes around gender parity, entrepreneurship, and heritage preservation, all while pushing the envelope in hotel innovation. She doesn’t just lead a brand—she curates an ecosystem of cultural convergence and avant-garde hospitality that continues to shape India’s global perception.
Silki Sehgal
Silki Sehgal is the voice, vision, and vanguard behind one of the most storied hospitality brands in the world. As the Vice President of Corporate Communications at The Oberoi Group, her storytelling brilliance and strategic clarity have been instrumental in elevating brand perception both in India and globally. Silki blends legacy with modernity, translating the brand’s iconic heritage into compelling narratives that resonate across generations and geographies.
Gauri Devidayal
A former tax consultant turned restaurateur, Gauri is now one of India’s most respected names in premium casual dining and hospitality entrepreneurship. As Co-Founder of The Table and later, Food Matters Group, she has helped create one of India’s most forward-thinking restaurant collectives. Her leadership goes beyond day-to-day operations and is deeply rooted in her ability to nurture ideas from scratch. She combines data-led thinking with creative risk-taking, championing innovation while keeping customer experience at the heart of every venture. A true hospitality modernist, she is building the future by challenging the present.
Founders & Entrepreneurs:
These women are first-movers, market-makers, and brand architects. Through deep conviction and entrepreneurial resilience, they have built influential F&B ventures that are shaping consumer tastes and expectations across India.
Kainaz Messman
Kainaz Messman transformed a homegrown dream into one of India’s most beloved patisserie chains. As a chef-turned-entrepreneur, she championed a vision where honest ingredients and heartfelt stories come together. With an unwavering belief in quality and authenticity, she led Theobroma from a single café in Colaba to a nationwide name synonymous with indulgence.
Pooja Dhingra
Pooja Dhingra is often credited with starting India’s macaron revolution, but her influence runs much deeper. As the founder of Le15 Patisserie, she created a brand that made French desserts aspirational and accessible, all while paving the way for women-led entrepreneurship in India’s culinary sector. Pooja blends the rigor of Le Cordon Bleu training with the pulse of the Indian market, crafting products that delight and storytelling that endears. Beyond baking, she has authored best-selling books, mentored young talent, and built a digital community that mirrors her philosophy of passion and perseverance.
Aanal Kotak
Aanal Kotak stands at the intersection of culinary heritage and modern enterprise. With The Secret Kitchen, she has created a contemporary dining brand rooted deeply in traditional Indian flavors and regional authenticity. From being one of the youngest female chefs to building a pan-India presence, Aanal’s journey is one of self-belief, cultural pride, and fearless ambition. She is celebrated for her innovative reinventions of Gujarati cuisine, which resonate with both nostalgia and novelty.
Anahita Dhondy
Anahita Dhondy has emerged as one of India’s most eloquent voices in the movement to preserve regional and sustainable food systems. As a chef, author, and advocate for Parsi cuisine, she has seamlessly blended culinary mastery with environmental consciousness. From her leadership at SodaBottleOpenerWala to her current initiatives in food education and sustainability, Anahita has consistently chosen the road less traveled. Her TED Talks, writings, and community engagements reveal a leader who understands that the future of food lies in our past.
Garima Arora
Garima Arora is a name that commands global culinary respect. As the first Indian woman to earn a Michelin star, her journey with Restaurant Gaa in Bangkok has redefined the possibilities of Indian identity on a global plate. Garima’s cooking is rooted in intuition, memory, and technique, perfectly blending Indian traditions with contemporary approaches. But it’s her philosophy that truly sets her apart—where every dish is a dialogue between history and innovation. Her return to India with new culinary ventures signals a full-circle moment in a storied career that continues to inspire. Garima is not just making fine dining more Indian—she’s making India more central to fine dining.
Asma Khan
From a self-taught cook to being the first British chef featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, Asma Khan has used food as a vehicle for storytelling, sisterhood, and social change. Darjeeling Express is staffed entirely by women, many of whom had never stepped into a professional kitchen before. Through her model, Asma is challenging the hospitality hierarchy and placing empathy at the center of enterprise. Her menus are love letters to her Kolkata roots, and her leadership is proof that purpose can be profitable.
Natasha Gandhi
Natasha Gandhi is at the forefront of a food movement that’s as nutritious as it is necessary. Through House of Millets, she has revived India’s ancient grains and presented them through the lens of modern wellness and taste. A former MasterChef India finalist, Natasha’s culinary voice is young, inventive, and deeply rooted in health-first thinking. Her menus combine creativity with functionality, appealing to a generation that wants indulgence without compromise. She’s not just building a brand—she’s building a blueprint for mindful eating in India.
Culinary & Operational Excellence:
These women represent the operational backbone of their enterprises. Whether managing complex kitchen operations or leading multi-location teams, their precision, innovation, and culinary rigor ensure that excellence is consistently delivered.
Anita Jaisinghani
Anita Jaisinghani’s work at Pondicheri is a masterclass in reinterpreting Indian food with nuance, boldness, and deeply personal context. Trained as a microbiologist before becoming a chef, Anita blends the scientific with the sensory—crafting menus that are equally informed by ingredient integrity and culinary instinct. In both Houston and India, her kitchens are ecosystems of creativity and discipline, where spice is storytelling and process is sacred. Anita stands as a rare voice in diaspora cuisine, elevating Indian food without diluting its soul.
Ritu Dalmia
Ritu Dalmia is the quintessential tastemaker of India’s fine-dining narrative. With an empire that spans bespoke catering, boutique restaurants, and international collaborations, her influence is as expansive as her palate. Known for her fiercely authentic approach to Italian cuisine, Ritu has spent decades honing not just recipes, but systems—meticulously training teams, refining operations, and ensuring that every plate carries her signature finesse. Her leadership is marked by clarity, conviction, and culinary discipline. Behind the warmth of her hospitality lies a steely commitment to quality that has made Diva a benchmark in India’s F&B ecosystem.
Amninder Sandhu
Amninder Sandhu leads with fire—literally and metaphorically. Known for her dedication to traditional cooking techniques and hyper-local ingredients, she has become a torchbearer of slow food in a fast-paced industry. At Bawri, her command over the kitchen is matched by her emotional intelligence—mentoring young chefs, preserving culinary stories, and ensuring that every dish carries depth, dignity, and soul. Her operational style blends old-world craftsmanship with modern systems, resulting in a restaurant that feels timeless yet agile.
Ruchira Hoon
Ruchira Hoon’s journey from a newsroom to a professional kitchen has gifted her with an analytical, articulate, and deeply human approach to food operations. At Dakshin Canteen, she navigates the intersection of nostalgia and efficiency—curating menus that honor regional South Indian traditions while innovating on speed, consistency, and experience. As a leader, Ruchira is as invested in team culture as she is in taste. Her attention to training, her instinct for balance (on the plate and in operations), and her journalistic curiosity make her a rare breed of culinary thinker. Whether consulting for F&B brands or leading her own outlet, she brings an editorial precision to food—curated, credible, and deeply conscious.
Closing Note
This edition of Leading Women in Food & Hospitality 2025 is a tribute to the women reshaping the future of India’s food and hospitality sector—not with noise but with nuance. They lead with purpose, execute with precision, and inspire with intent.
As the global industry moves toward a more equitable, innovative, and inclusive future, these women stand not just as role models but as architects of change.
