Vadodara, July 2026 — Wings Institute, whose culinary alumni work in hotel kitchens, restaurants and cruise galleys, today published its India Culinary Careers 2026 briefing on where kitchen hiring is heading.
The sector is one of India’s biggest employers. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) values the food-services market at ₹5.69 lakh crore (about US$69 billion) in FY24, projected to reach ₹7.76 lakh crore by FY28 at an 8.1% CAGR — set to be the world’s third-largest food-services market by 2028, overtaking Japan. Its direct workforce is projected to grow from 85.5 lakh (8.55 million) in FY24 to 103.2 lakh (10.3 million) by FY28, with the organised segment expanding fastest at 13.2% CAGR.
Entry roles — commis chef (commis III/II/I), kitchen steward, and specialist stations such as bakery, tandoor and continental — are largely open to 10+2 candidates with a culinary diploma rather than a degree. A structured kitchen career progresses on demonstrable skill: commis to demi chef de partie to chef de partie and beyond, with food-safety discipline (FSSAI hygiene norms), knife skills, consistency and stamina mattering more than paper qualifications. The same core skills transfer across hotels, restaurants, cloud kitchens, QSR chains and cruise-ship galleys, giving trained candidates unusually wide mobility.
The briefing connects these trends to Wings’ culinary and bakery training. Market figures are attributed to the NRAI India Food Services Report 2024; specific outlet counts and salary bands move quickly and vary by city and employer. Wings is a training academy and does not guarantee placement. Media enquiries: +91 87587 54444.