Hyderabad, 13 November, 2025: Government of Telangana unveils the Telangana Culinary Experiential Tourism Accelerator (TCETA) — a first-of-its-kind initiative that redefines India’s culinary tourism landscape by merging heritage, innovation, and entrepreneurship into a global economic opportunity.
Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Special Chief Secretary, YAT&C, and CEO of SPEED, Government of Telangana, presided over the event and shared the government’s vision for building a thriving culinary economy over the next five years through innovation-led tourism and food-based entrepreneurship.
“In line with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision for India’s holistic prosperity, Telangana’s government is committed to enabling the state to contribute at least 10% to the nation’s GDP over the coming two decades. The Culinary Experiential Tourism Accelerator is a major step in this direction. By nurturing entrepreneurship, rural jobs, and branded food experiences, we aim to build an innovation-driven culinary tourism market. Our strategy is to bring together every stakeholder, chefs, startups, farmers, storytellers, and investors under a single umbrella, so that Telangana’s food heritage can become a global engine for growth, employment, and pride.” – Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Special Chief Secretary, YAT&C, CEO for SPEED, Government of Telangana.
The Culinary Lounge brings together Government of Telangana, the Netherlands ecosystem (NICCT), NICEorg (Network of Indian Cultural Enterprises), Telangana Tourism Development Corporation, investors, chefs, F&B entrepreneurs, and the rural innovation ecosystem under one shared vision to make Telangana a global hub for culinary and experiential tourism.
At the heart of TCETA lies a visionary partnership fusing Telangana’s vibrant food and tourism landscape with the Netherlands’ world-class strengths in agritech, food innovation and sustainability. A dedicated “Netherlands Track” co-created with Wageningen University & Research, FoodValley NL and StartLife connects Dutch experts and startups directly to India’s food and tourism ecosystem. This collaboration will drive pilot projects from sustainable farming to digital food tourism, making Telangana a benchmark for Indo-European innovation and rural-urban inclusion.
Adding a strong Indo–Dutch perspective to the initiative, Dr. Edith Nordmann, Chairperson of the Netherlands India Chamber of Commerce & Trade (NICCT), highlighted the profound opportunity ahead, stating:
“Culinary tourism is far more than a travel experience — it is an economic engine that unites agriculture, innovation, entrepreneurship, and culture. Telangana’s vision to elevate its culinary identity to a global stage aligns perfectly with the Netherlands’ strengths in sustainable agri-innovation, food technology, and experiential tourism. Together, we can build new value chains, develop global-ready food experiences, and create opportunities for farmers, chefs, startups, and innovators in both countries. This initiative opens the door to a truly shared future.” – Edith Nordmann | NICCT
TCETA aims to position the state as India’s leading hub for culinary innovation, food-tech, beverage innovation, and agri-entrepreneurship. The initiative will unite chefs, farmers, startups, investors, and cultural institutions to create scalable, sustainable models where food, storytelling, and innovation converge.
“Hyderabad is the 1st UNESCO City of Gastronomy in India, & TCETA is India’s first culinary tourism accelerator in the country. This initiative will open many bright opportunities for innovation in the food and beverage sector, to position our ecosystem on par with global markets in the upcoming years. This will be an inclusive accelerator with many rural women entrepreneurs participating and we are making the application process accessible to them where they don’t have to fill in larger data or forms in English. What makes Telangana Culinary Accelerator a benchmark globally is the active participation of many local food evangelists & entrepreneurs, who are involved in funding to give back to the regional culinary ecosystem of Telangana. Application submissions will be open from December 4th 2025 and first cohort day zero would be in the month of April 2026. ” – Gopi Byluppala , Founder , The Culinary Lounge.
This moment is a major step in the Government of Telangana’s ongoing efforts to integrate culture, tourism, and innovation into a single growth narrative that celebrates both heritage and the future of hospitality.
Leading voices across government, industry, and culture, including Ms. Kranthi IAS (MD, Telangana), Mr. Shobu Yarlagadda (Producer, Baahubali), Mr. Birad Rajaram (UNESCO MGIEP), Mr. Hari Vadlamani (Founder, INDICA), Mr. Sanjay Anandaram (Co-Founder, NICEorg), Ms. Sita (CEO, WE-Hub), and Mr. Gopi Byluppala (Founder, The Culinary Lounge), among others participated in the event.
The Curtain Raiser also included keynote addresses, panel discussions on “Telangana’s Culinary Brand Identity to the World,” and a curated tasting of Telangana’s signature delicacies, offering8 guests a sensorial journey into the state’s diverse culinary heritage.