Rahul Akerkar

RAHUL AKERKAR is a chef and restaurateur who has helped change the way modern India eats. Abandoning a PhD in biochemical engineering, he trained in New York kitchens and returne to Mumbai to open restaurants that ignored rules, embraced ingredients and trusted diners to keep up. After founding the trailblazing Indigo, recognized as one of the world's top restaurants, he went on to open other globally renowned eateries, including several Indigo Delicatessens, Neel, Qualia, Ode and Waarsa.

Akerkar is known for doing things early, doing them differently and occasionally walking away at the wrong—or exactly right—moment. He lives between Mumbai and Goa, where he continues to cook, write, and ask uncomfortable questions about food, hospitality and success.