Telangana launches India’s first culinary experiential tourism accelerator to empower rural and ladies entrepreneurs

Telangana is popping its culinary heritage into an engine of financial empowerment by launching India’s first Culinary Experiential Tourism Accelerator (TCETA), an initiative that can groom rural entrepreneurs, particularly ladies and join them to international traders, cooks and innovation networks. The accelerator positions meals not merely as a cultural asset, however as a viable enterprise alternative able to producing employment, fostering entrepreneurship and increasing the tourism economic system.

The accelerator was unveiled on Wednesday, November 12 at We-Hub in Hyderabad. Moreover, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was additionally signed between Telangana authorities and the Netherlands India Chamber of Commerce and Commerce (NICCT) for the accelerator. Functions for this system open on December 4, 2025 and the primary cohort will start in April 2026.

Telangana Tourism Particular Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan stated the accelerator matches into the state’s efforts to make use of tourism as a driver of financial alternative. He defined that many culinary initiatives in Telangana are already powered by ladies, and that TCETA will give them structured pathways to scale. “Girls are on the coronary heart of this ecosystem. So many of those meals entrepreneurs are ladies, and our intent is to help, showcase and scale their work,” he stated.

Mr. Ranjan stated Telangana’s method to tourism has shifted from sightseeing to experiential journey. The state is figuring out 9 new clusters the place culinary trails might be embedded into tourism grasp plans. “Vacationers shouldn’t solely see locations, they need to expertise how individuals stay and what individuals eat. Why ought to they not get pleasure from a meal cooked in somebody’s residence slightly than solely in a resort eating room,” he stated.

Gopi Byluppala, Founding father of The Culinary Lounge, which is executing the accelerator, stated TCETA is designed to be inclusive. In contrast to conventional accelerators, members won’t be required to navigate troublesome documentation or English-heavy varieties. Rural entrepreneurs and residential cooks will obtain mentoring from meals evangelists and trade consultants, a lot of whom are voluntarily reinvesting in Telangana’s culinary ecosystem.

By a devoted “Netherlands Monitor”, Dutch consultants from Wageningen College and Analysis, FoodValley NL and StartLife will collaborate with Telangana entrepreneurs in agritech, meals innovation and sustainability. The partnership will unlock pilot tasks starting from sustainable farming and supply-chain innovation to digital meals tourism, stated Edith Nordmann, Chairperson of the Netherlands India Chamber of Commerce and Commerce (NICCT).

Valluru Kranthi, Managing Director of Telangana Tourism, stated the accelerator strengthens the shift in the direction of experiential tourism. “Folks know the delicacies. What we now need to do is inform the story behind the meals,” she stated.