- IICA New Delhi signs a landmark MoU with Kyoto Culinary Art College and Kyoto Pastry & Bakery Art College to boost Indo–Japan culinary collaboration.
- The partnership establishes reciprocal Indian and Japanese cuisine programs, enabling faculty and student exchanges between New Delhi and Kyoto.
- The collaboration aims to deepen cultural ties and shape globally skilled chefs by blending India’s culinary diversity with Japan’s precision and artistry.
IICA, New Delhi, has signed a landmark MoU with Kyoto Culinary Art College and Kyoto Pastry & Bakery Art College, both operated by the highly reputed Taiwa Gakuen Educational Corporation, Japan. This is a major collaborative step toward promoting international culinary education and building cultural bridges between India and Japan.
The agreement was inked during a visit to Kyoto in July 2025 by Mr. Arjun S. Datta, Managing Director & COO of IICA, who met with Mr. Mikito Tanaka, Vice President of Taiwa Gakuen Educational Corporation, and Mr. Ikeda of the New Business and Innovation Promotion Office.
Their discussions centered on building a framework for faculty and student exchanges, co-creating academic programs that reflect the unique strengths of both institutions.
As a result of the MoU, one of the key highlights is the establishment of an Indian Cuisine Program at the Kyoto Culinary Art College and the Kyoto Pastry & Bakery Art College. The curriculum will be designed and led by the chef faculty of IICA, under the guidance of its Founder & Chairman, Chef Virender S. Datta, who brings with him more than five decades of global hospitality and culinary experience.
In turn, the chef faculty in Kyoto will collaborate with IICA in devising a Japanese Cuisine Program in New Delhi in order to give Indian students first-hand exposure to the authentic traditions of Japanese cooking and pastry. Together, these initiatives will enable students and faculty on both sides to immerse themselves in a rich cultural and educational exchange.
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Mr. Mikito Tanaka reflected on the importance of the partnership, saying, “Taiwa Gakuen Educational Inc. is strengthening its global collaboration in preparation for its 100th anniversary, towards 2031. The signing of this MoU with the International Institute of Culinary Arts, New Delhi, is extremely important in that it will accelerate the exchange of food culture and human resources between Kyoto/Japan and India. We look forward to further collaboration between us in the future”.
The collaboration thus reinforces the pioneering role of IICA in international culinary education. "This is a milestone in the journey of IICA", said Chef Virender S. Datta. Taking Indian cuisine to Japan and bringing Japanese traditions to India will help in shaping globally competent chefs and deepening cultural exchange.
On this occasion, Mr. Arjun S. Datta said, “Our shared vision is to offer world-class culinary education through cross-cultural learning. This MoU lays the foundation for meaningful opportunities for students and faculty in both countries”. This landmark beginning creates new opportunities in academics but has also come to symbolize a growing culinary bridge between India and Japan, essentially blending India's diversity of flavors with Japan's precision and artistry in gastronomy.
