Fifteen years ago, Virender Singh Datta, the iconic chef and hotelier who had just retired from his long and distinguished career spanning over 50 years with major Indian hotel brands and decided why not give back to the society and the profession from which he had received for so many years.

“You can’t give back a fraction of what you have received, but that does not stop you from being innovative and be a door opener for the future generation and then he decided to open a career opportunity in Culinary Arts.

Fifteen years ago, Delhi NCR seemed ripe for an institution offering culinary knowledge and skills. The hospitality and F&B business was growing. Not just hotels, but also eating places, restaurants. Gathering all his resources, Datta founded the International Institute of Culinary Arts, New Delhi in the capital’s fashionable Hauz Khas Village, address to many fancy eateries and fashion designers.

“It was not just a school for preparing chefs. It was opening up a new career opportunity for youngsters and at the same time has skilled and trained manpower resources that would be in great demand as the eatery business would grow. IICA is the first institute to be awarded WACS certification and in the past 15 years, IICA, New Delhi has churned out over 2000 students, who now are gainfully employed in leading culinary establishments or have their own set-up establishments. We are also the culinary institute in the country to be recognized by Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council of India, City & Guilds, UK. The WACS certification gives the students the exclusivity, particularly when they go out in the world to fulfil their dreams. The courses are conducted by experienced chefs who have been hand-picked , Thomas Blanchard, the French chef joined IICA as Corporate Advisor and Chef Faculty. "It is indeed a matter of great pride & privilege to have with us such a senior chef from France, who will help us impart the most authentic recipes and techniques to our pastry and culinary students," said Arjun S Datta (COO, IICA). Arjun, a product of Cornell and University of Manchester, “We don’t see ourselves just as a skill development institution. We are a knowledge hub. Anything to do with culinary is our domain.”

IICA is located in Delhi’s iconic Hauz Khas Village, home to many exotic eateries with a huge footfall of the young and the fashionable.

This gives the students the bandwidth to experience world cuisine and more importantly, the discipline which is the backbone of all successful chefs.

Courses are offered for Advance Diploma in Culinary Arts, Diploma in Bakery & Patisserie  and even Hobby Chef Courses.

IICA’s involvement is not limited to imparting skill training and knowledge. They have an association with Whirlpool and Tupperware whose products are tested at the IICA lab. The German Embassy has all their requests for Indian chefs travelling on assignment to their country vetted by IICA. .

Is IICA just a learning facility? They started as one but have turned in to a one stop institution for anything culinary.

This is IICA!!