Last Date For Entries December 1st

Swaad Sutra 2025 Guidelines

About the Swaad Sutra Contest

The Swaad Sutra Contest is part of the Annapoorna Inter Food, a major food and beverage trade expo organized jointly by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and VA Exhibitions. It is being organised by Chef Pin, which is India's largest online platform celebrating regional cuisine. This contest aims to uncover the unique and delicious regional dishes that add to the rich culinary tradition of our country. We, in collaboration with FICCI, are inviting participants from all parts of India to submit their delicacies and to become a part of the effort to preserve India's culinary diversity and heritage.

Objectives of the Contest

• To uncover unique and delicious regional specialties
• To provide a national platform to talented home chefs and professional chefs
• To preserve the culinary diversity and heritage of India
• To celebrate regional cuisines

Awards and Recognition

• First Prize - Rs.50,000 plus trophy and certificate
• Second Prize - Rs.30,000 plus trophy and certificate
• Third Prize - Rs.20,000 plus trophy and certificate

Career Opportunities:

• Work with Chef Pin and participate in pop-up events at prestigious five-star hotels.

Timelines
Entries open	November 21st, 2025
Last date for submission	December 1st, 2025
Announcement of 6 Finalists	December 5th, 2025
Live cook-off	December 12th, 2025

Please Note: The above-mentioned timelines may undergo revisions based on how the contest progresses. Participants are requested to look out for notices from the organizers.

Contest Stages

Pan India Round (Online).

• Contestants will submit 1 detailed written recipe, with methodology in English.
• Contestants will submit a 3-minute video of the final dish in which they should explain the dish/technique/history.
• Contestants will also submit 3 digital photos of the final dish.
• The contest is open to all.

Live Cook-Off:

• Finalists will have to organise travel to Mumbai, to cook 1 dish, live at Annapoorna, in front of the Live Jury.
• 2 finalists will be invited to cook at one time, while others prep their dishes in the back kitchen.
• Contestants must cook the same dish that they sent in the first round.
• The top 3 winners will be announced by the Live Jury at the end of the contest.

Judging Criteria:

• Entries will be judged based on:
• Uniqueness
• Taste
• Presentation
• Hygiene
• Organizational skills
• Representation of the regional cuisine
• The judge's decision will be final.

Contest Details

• For the 1st round, participants must submit 3 high-resolution photographs in jpeg/jpg/pdf format. Please read the Photograph Submission Guidelines carefully.
• The recipe, ingredients and methodology for the dish should be in English with precise and clear directions.
• The video should be original with the proper introduction of the participant and include the face of the participant, their name and the details and history of the dish.
• The video should not be more than 3 minutes long. Please read the Video Submission Guidelines carefully.
• The video should be made recently and not have been uploaded to social media or used for any other contest.
• The finalists must carry the region-specific ingredients along with them for the Live Cook-off.
• All other standard ingredients will be provided by the organizers at the venue.
• No pre-prepared ingredients will be allowed.
• The organizers will provide all the utensils, crockery and cutlery to the finalists.
• Finalists will be given 2 hours to cook and present their dishes.
• Finalists must prepare a minimum of three portions of the dish.

Terms and Conditions

• The contest is open for all Indian citizens, except the employees of FICCI and Chef Pin.
• All entries must be submitted on the contest entry form as accessed from Annapoorna portal or the Chef Pin portal.
• Entries submitted through any other mode will not be considered for evaluation.
• Submission of the dish (Photo/Video) must be original and should not violate any provision of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957. If any entry is found infringing on others, the entry will be disqualified from the competition.
• The contestants who qualify for the next round will be intimated on the email ID provided by them.
• The Finalists and Winners will be announced publicly on various social media channels and newsletters as deemed fit by the organizers.
• Participants allow Chef Pin, and sponsors at use the recipes/photos/videos in print, social media and other mediums while giving due credit to the participant.
• Organizers reserve the right to reject any entry that they feel is not suitable or appropriate or which does not conform to any of the conditions listed above.
• In the event of unforeseen circumstances, organizers reserve the right to amend or withdraw the competition at any time.
• For the avoidance of doubt this includes the right to amend these terms and conditions.
• A participant can submit only once. In case it is found that any participant has submitted more than one entry, all his/ her entries will be considered as invalid.
• By sending the entries, the Entrant accepts and agrees to be bound by these Terms & Conditions mentioned above.

GUIDELINES (for Photograph Submission):

• Photographs must be submitted in high resolution in JPEG/JPG/PDF format (a maximum of three images each within 2MB).
• The name of the photo should be in this format (Your name_City_)
• The photographs must be original, and no watermark of any kind should be on the photographs.
• Photographs that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, colour and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.
• No filter for example Vivid to be used, Raw image to be sent.
• AI inspired photographs will not be allowed.
• One must submit the photograph of a completed recipe. How, where, and in what manner it's photographed is entirely up to the participant.
• Swaad Sutra holds the right to use the photographs as per its requirements.
• Jury decisions concerning all matters related to this contest are final.

GUIDELINES (for Video Submission):

• The submitted video should not exceed 3 mins (180 seconds), including all the cooking procedure/methods. Videos exceeding this time limit are liable to be rejected.
• The title of the Video should mention your name and city.
• In the case of video submission, participants have to record a video while cooking a dish and shall submit their entries via YouTube (Unlisted Link) or Google Drive Link, and ensure that the link is accessible.
• Entry shall lead to disqualification automatically if the access is not granted.
• Only one entry is allowed per participant.
• The video must be original, and no watermark of any kind should be on the video.
• The video must be of the highest resolution possible.
• It must be recorded in Landscape mode.
• Video that has been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, colour and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.
• One must submit the video of a completed recipe including all the steps of preparation. How, where, and in what manner it's photographed is entirely up to the participant.
• It should be a fresh Video indicating the cooking of the recipe submitted. Submission of old video, available on any Social Media platform will lead to disqualification.
• Video can be on 2x or 3x speed, but essential steps should not be deleted in editing.
• Please ensure the video should be shot in HD format and in the ratio 16:9 in Horizontal format.
• The video should include the face of the participant while cooking the dish.
• The photo submitted and the video submitted should be of the same recipe cooked. If found different, the same will be disqualified.
• The submissions must be in either English or Hindi only.
• Video must be in mp4 format.
• The organisers hold the right to use the video as per the organiser's requirements.
• Jury decisions concerning all matters related to this contest will be final.