Create culinary innovators
Culinary schools should foster chefs who are as savvy in business management as they are in culinary arts to revolutionise the F&B industry in India
n India, culinary education has traditionally been synonymous with teaching recipes and techniques. While this has turned out skilled chefs, the burgeoning food and beverage (F&B) revolution demands more. It’s time for our educational institutions to nurture not just chefs, but also culinary innovators and doers.
Fostering ‘thinking entrepreneurial chefs’ requires integrating robust business education, akin to MBA programmes, into culinary courses. The objective? To mould individuals who are as savvy in business management as they
Iare in culinary arts.
Novel experiences
Today’s culinary enthusiasts aspire to craft novel culinary experiences, merging their passion for cooking with a keenness for management and entrepreneurship. Addressing their aspirations necessitates an educational model that marries culinary skills with real-world business applications. Theoretical knowledge, while foundational, must be complemented by practical experience.
Imagine culinary institutions operating real-world entities like restaurants, QSRs, or bakeries, entirely run by students, where they apply their lablearned skills to manage the establishments, oversee prot and loss, and engage directly with customers. This model doesn’t just teach; it immerses students in the very fabric of the F&B business.
Central to this new educational paradigm are innovation and entrepreneurship labs. These hubs are not mere classrooms; they are breeding grounds for creativity and business acumen. Here, students conceptualise and develop gin for an error.
Education
To become a gemologist, an aspirant must choose the right course and institute, with curriculum that keeps up with the latest research. Premiere institutes adopt the latest pedagogical practices and updated information about the various techniques and instruments essential for the trade. There are a variety of courses tailored to dierent facets of the eld:
Grading and identifying stones: Diploma programmes and short-term lab classes aid students in their culinary ventures, receiving mentorship and connecting with potential investors. It’s a place where ideas meet opportunity.
Mirror the marketplace
For culinary education to keep pace with the F&B revolution, it must mirror the dynamism of the marketplace. Institutions taking this leap are already making strides but, to truly relearning about coloured stones and their market, understanding how gems are mined, fashioned, and sold, and e¨ciently using the correct tools to identify gemstones.
Grading: Specialised diploma and short-term courses delve into the characteristics that determine a diamond’s value, including the Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat Weight also known as the 4Cs, how to grade diamonds in the Dto-Z colour range, identify laboratory-grown diamonds, treatments, and simulants, and determine when advanced testing is necessary.
In addition to professional qualications, gemologists also need specific skills such strong analytical skills to meticulously examine and identifying unique features of gemstones. Attention to detail is crucial to accurately evaluate various aspects like colour, clarity, and cut. Good communication skills are necessary to convey grading information effectively to clients or colleagues. Patience is indispensable, as the grad
Diamond
volutionise the industry, this model needs to be the norm, not the exception. We need more innovators and entrepreneurs who can lead and inspire in the ever-evolving culinary landscape.
The Indian food and beverage industry is currently valued at over $50 billion and projected to grow exponentially in the next 5 to 10 years. This is fuelled by a burgeoning middle class, increased urbanisation, and a youthful population eager to explore diverse culinary experiences. In this context, the role of culinary education becomes pivotal. By 2030, as more Indians ascend into higher income brackets, their culinary preferences will evolve, seeking not just quality and variety but also innovation and sustainability. The demand for culinary professionals who can cater to these sophisticated tastes will skyrocket.
To meet this demand, our culinary institutions must evolve to create chefs who are entrepreneurial, innovative, and adept in the art of cooking and the science of business and can steer the industry towards a future marked by creativity, sustainability, and global recognition. make connections between the text and other texts, the world around them, and their own experiences.
Sharing
By reecting on their readings and exchanging thoughts with others, reective readers enrich their reading experiences. This exchange of viewpoints, active listening, and response also broadens their minds and fosters greater openness. Essentially, reading facilitates the absorption of knowledge, while sharing it with others fosters wisdom.
There are several benets to sharing what one reads. One signicant advantage is the enhancement of their critical thinking skills. For example, when readers articulate their perspectives on a book, they develop the ability to be discerning readers. They anticipate questions that others might pose and consider potential responses. Reading with reection and sharing these reections with others can maximise the rewards of reading. ing process can time-consuming.
Career options
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Gemologists have a range of job roles to venture into. As appraisers, they assess the value of gemstones with precision. Alternatively, they could specialise as auction house jewellery specialists or a jewellery retailer to interact directly with clients. For those aspiring to build their careers as entrepreneurs, starting a business in gemstones will allow them to seek out rare gems and jewellery pieces and sell them. They can also delve into the intricate world of diamond grading and gem identication, and evaluate these precious stones with meticulous detail.
The journey doesn’t end with the initial career choice. With experience and commitment to continuous learning, specialising in rare or unique gemstones can lead to opportunities in niche markets, increasing demand for expertise.
The second in the monthly series by that highlights niche and unconventional green careers through the stories of wellknown personalities from the eld of environment and conservation. y journey as a photographer began in 1997 when I purchased my rst camera. Initially, I shot anything and everything I could. But it wasn’t until 1999 that I truly delved into wildlife photography, a decision that would shape the rest of my life. In fact, I sold my rst photograph, of a swamp deer or barasingha, to WWF-India!
When I came to this eld, I knew I would have to do something that set me apart. I chose places that not many photographers used to work in and that allowed me to explore species and ecosystems that have rarely been photographed before. While the success rate was low and it was di¨cult to get results, being able to contribute to science through photography is what kept me content. In a eld like this, we must be patient; the impact is not immediately visible. We’ll see it only years later.
MWWF-India Collaborations
Today, I have successfully explored every corner, habitat, and ecosystem of India and have been to 42 countries! This journey was gradual and involved a lot of collaborations with researchers, scientists, and organisations. It was never just about me and my camera, but about the countless individuals who continue to inspire me. From porters to drivers to eld guides, their contributions have been invaluable in shaping my career.
There is no set route or model that one can follow to become a photographer. But if someone asks me, my mantra is simple: step out of your comfort zone.
A challenge has been achieving nancial stability. But I refuse to have a Plan B and have fully committed myself to the eld of photography for conservation. I lead a minimalist lifestyle, prioritising my passion for photography over material possessions.
In the last 27 years, I have witnessed some of Nature’s most breathtaking moments, from diving in front of an active volcano in the Andamans to trekking in the snow-capped Himalayas. What inspires me the most is the unpredictability of my work. Every day presents a new challenge and new opportunity to capture something extraordinary. Whether photographing lions in Gir or waiting patiently in a hide for the elusive Western tragopan, I never know what to expect. It is this element of surprise that keeps me coming back for more.
With every photograph I capture, I try leveraging it as a tool to raise awareness and connect people with nature. Photography for conservation is more than just taking pictures; it’s about telling stories that resonate with people on a deep and emotional level. I know I have achieved this when people come and share their positive stories with me. In 2020, I was in Spiti, a high-altitude region in the Himalayas, when a few porters thanked me for photographing the snow leopard, probably for the rst time in the wild. Such photographs led to the area being marked on the world map, ecotourism being established, and earning them their livelihood.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue pushing the boundaries of wildlife photography and exploring new ways to engage and inspire audiences globally. Whether it’s capturing rare and endangered species or documenting the eects of climate change on our planet, I’m dedicated to using my camera as a tool for conservation. My advice to aspiring photographers is simple: strive not to be the best but to connect the disconnected and be a contributor to science and society.