THE
GATHERING
BACK
FOR
SECONDS
15
18.01.2026
MUKESH
MILLS,
MUMBAI
Edition 02 transforms Mumbai’s storied Mukesh Mills into a stage for taste, thought, and beauty. Across three days, the country’s most compelling chefs, artists, and visionaries converge to create a new vocabulary of modern India - one spoken in flavour, form, and feeling.
Every moment is choreographed with intention: tables that tell stories, workshops that invite touch, performances that stir the spirit. Here, dining becomes dialogue, and culture finds its most vivid expression. Our venue is reimagined as a living, breathing portrait of contemporary India, creating an experience that blurs the line between food, design, and discovery.
More intimate, more ambitious, and more attuned to the moment we’re in, this is an invitation to slow down, to savour and be a part of India’s creative future taking form in real time.
Welcome to the elevated continuation of an idea that began as a whisper and has now become a movement.
What to expect at the
second edition of The Gathering
Niyati Rao
Chef
Proof that one can be young and accomplished, Chef Niyati Rao, the creative energy behind Ekaa champions a new aesthetic in luxury dining. With a hyperlocal, ingredient-first approach, her globally attuned palate creates food & food for thought on the same platter. Her culinary journey spans the Taj Hotels in India to Noma, a three Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen, and then back to the heart of India’s evolving food culture.
Bawmra Jap
Chef
Chef Bawmra Jap single-handedly created a destination cuisine. Known for his calm, focused demeanor and uncompromising standards, he took the often unseen, Burmese-Kachin flavors and elevated them into a modern fine dining benchmark at his legendary Bomras Goa. His career is defined by a genuine passion for tracing and perfecting unique, complex flavor profiles from Northeast India and Southeast Asia.
Doma Wang & Sachiko Seth
Chef
To say that Doma Wang's life is part of Indo-Tibetan Himalayan cuisine’s history would simply be stating the truth. Her house was, in fact, also a noodle factory. She picked up her deep-rooted respect for the nuances of remote mountain food from her father. Sachiko Seth, then, was born into the regional culinary business. She grew up witnessing her mother’s inspiring food journey with Blue Poppy and helped her take it beyond.
Abraham & Thakore
Artist
After three decades of defining Indian minimalism, their commitment to elevating traditional weaves, including khadi and ikat, into international symbols of contemporary elegance makes them true cultural ambassadors. Achieving global modernity through traditional techniques, their design language—quiet, geometric, deeply rooted in craft—translates Indian textile heritage into radical modern luxury.
Pablo Bartholomew
Artist
One can go as far as to claim Pablo Bartholomew is India’s visual conscience. His lens has chronicled five decades of change—personal, political, and profoundly human. A chronicler of truth and texture, his work dissolves the boundary between document and art. Every frame is both evidence and elegy, mapping a nation through its most intimate moments.
Udit Mittal
Artist
Udit Mittal constructs more than buildings-he engineers atmospheres with natural materials, structures and light. His architecture balances restraint with rebellion, heritage with futurism. Every space he creates feels cinematic yet intimate, inviting stillness in motion. Mittal’s work proves that design, when distilled, is a form of cultural authorship- not to impose form, but to evoke feeling.
Five Chef X Artist led restaurants emerge from the mills’ historic fabric, each offering 5 course tasting menus curated for 20 guests per seating by the culinary experts of India. What’s more, these menus have never been done before and will never be repeated again. Each pop-up is a culinary manifesto, presenting a unique cuisine and point of view. Moving between fine dining and spirited experimentation, these are the focal points of The Gathering's gastronomic vision.
Niyati Rao
X
Abraham & Thakore
Conservation
Taste. Terrain. Tapestry.
Arguing that food and fabric are intimate companions, this table is a sensory journey across India's diverse textile belt. Every course interprets the cultural influence of what we wear, be it opulent Kanjeevaram silks or intricate Rabari embroidery. We are translating the warp and weft of native textiles into flavor and form. Taste the textures of tradition and see how these crafts hold the memory of where we come from.
Doma Wang & Sachiko Seth
X
Udit Mittal
Exploration
The Noodle Factory
A living installation which reimagines Doma's childhood home in Kalimpong where labor became love and craft became legacy. Bringing to life the art of making, here the lines between factory, kitchen, and story blur. The scent of dough, the warmth of steam, the rhythm of rolling pins and bamboo presses, all make the environment hum with nostalgia. Join this sensory recreation of care and culture — an homage to the humble noodle that carried a family’s dream across decades.
Bawmra Jap
X
Pablo Bartholomew
Exploration
Highland Crossroads
Mapping the unique identity of the Kachin people across Northern Burma, Northeast India, and Yunnan, this is a celebration of cross-border culinary identity. The clean air and raw beauty of the mountains will be felt in every dish. Explore their vibrant terroir through the herbaceous notes of pickled tea leaf salad, the honest warmth of Shan tofu, and the rich, complex comfort of tamarind pork. Witness the essential, untamed taste of cultures and flavors beautifully intertwining.
The Shop offers a curated extension of The Gathering's philosophy. We are creating a platform for independent Indian artists, writers, and makers who are unlike any other. It’s the place to discover the finest, most honest creations India has to offer by small-scale, beautiful brands championing non-mainstream viewpoints. Visit our gallery of emerging excellence in the food landscape and take a tangible piece of the festival’s refined ethos home with you.
This is where intellectual curiosity meets tangible application. Across 15 intimate, hands-on sessions, renowned professionals lead explorations from sake tasting to zero-waste cooking techniques. Housed in the rugged charm of the mills, The Workshop transforms its historical setting into an immersive classroom. Join us to challenge perspectives and engage with food like never before.
HIGHLIGHT SESSIONS
MAKE YOUR OWN TYPEFACE USING FOOD - MANAV DHIMAN [MANVSTYPE]
THE PICKLE JAR - UNPACKING UMAMI - PRACHET SANCHETI, BROWN KOJI BOY
WEAVING WITH FOOD - SABIHA DOHADWALA, TEXTILE ARTIST
GIFTING ARRANGEMENTS WITH A FRUITY TWIST - PRAACHI RANIWALA & ARCHANA RANIWALA, BLOOM BARN
Deep inside one of the cavernous mills lies The Gathering's exclusive speakeasy. A deliberate nod to the building's past: where the mill once wove fabric, we now weave stories. The ambiance ditches bright light for a dim, opulent glow, inviting whispered conversation. Get candid with a stranger or connect more deeply with a friend - with the textile history of Mumbai's mills being the core design inspiration, we created a space that is both intimate and inspiring. We want you to steep in the comfort of nostalgia so that ideas and perspectives can flow freely. Accompanied by acclaimed mixologists crafting bespoke spirits, of course.
HIGHLIGHT DJS
ELSEWHERE IN INDIA
PLAN B AKA GRESHAM FERNANDES
THE PROFESSOR AKA RAJA BALASUBRAMANIAN
The Arena is the loud, energetic soul of The Gathering. It’s the festival’s pulse point, a space where the powerful current of conversation and the vibrant spectacle of performance become one. Our stage features acclaimed artists, delivering the perfect soundtrack to your culinary discovery. It's not just a listening experience; it is the ark of the nation’s music scene that complements fine dining & culture. Feel the movement, memory, and unfiltered passion of The Gathering with every note.
The Salon is the intellectual heart of The Gathering. It’s
designed for the culturally curious. This is where food transcends
the plate and becomes the lens through which we explore culture,
art, politics, history, spirituality, innovation- anything that it
intersects with. Distinguished voices from all spheres of
influence host engaging talks, using food as the compass to
navigate wild territories such as politics and culture in the
country.
Here, the ideas are as richly textured as the mills’ raw
elegance. With The Salon we are commited to fundamentally
expanding the view of contemporary culture and food in India.
HIGHLIGHT SESSIONS
BOLLYWOOD'S INTOXICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL - MAYANK SHEKHAR
FOOD & CHANGING NEIGHBOURHOODS: BANDRA - GRESHAM FERNANDES & NARESH FERNANDES
SEAFOOD & SUSTAINABILITY - GANESH NAKHAWA & AARON LOBO
MUMBAI’S FOOD HISTORY IN TEN PLATES - PRONOTI DATTA
EATING, REMEMBERING & WRITING: INDIA - RINI SINGHI, DHOOP MAGAZINE
THE PARSIS & THEIR CUISINE: ADAPTABILITY OVER ADVERSITY - DR. KURUSH F DALAL, KATY'S KITCHEN
This is our launchpad for creative practice, a space where mastery, craft, and expertise are openly displayed. Conceived as a modern-day Gurukul, it offers a rare opportunity to observe the process through which chefs and artists enact and refine their disciplines. Watch and absorb the dedication, precision, and technique that have developed over time, as you witness the compelling ritual of another person's craft play out.
Chef
ANUMITRA GHOSH DASTIDAR
Artist
POUSHALI DAS
For a few days, it might just be the best spot in town for a seaside sangria or a dry martini. Our Seaside Lounge, dubbed The Interlude is a relaxing retreat celebrating the spirit of ‘Bombay’. A curated menu of cocktails and tapas inspired by the city’s vibrant flavors, perched with views capturing the essence of Mumbai's coastal charm. Unwind by the water and savor a drink against the city’s shoreline. An elegant counterpoint to the mill's industrial backdrop, this is where you need to be if you’re looking for an oasis of calm amidst the festival's expansive energy.
Unique, restaurant-led creations where the best restaurants in
the city pair up with each other to create something unique for
you. That’s what The Food Stations at The Moveable Feast offer.
From Venice-style Cicchetti to Meghalaya-inspired bites, these
food stops allow you to grab a bite even if you haven’t booked a
table. Perfect for tasting and exploring, these counters let you
sustain yourself while you discover the festival’s sprawling
canvas of curiosity.
Heirloom recipes, forgotten flavours, unsung ingredients, wild
culinary experiments or familiar tastes with unexpected twists-
this is our collection of food stalls serving food that's made
to move you.
India’s best visionary chefs partner with pioneering artists to serve up storytelling like never before. With tables designed for an exclusive 20-guest seating, and meals that will never be repeated ever again, The Gathering reinvents the idea of immersive dining under three broad themes- Conservation, Innovation & Exploration. This year, we stretch our legs further with new spaces like The Salon, The Mills, The Workshops and more. We are building a temporary city of creativity right at the intersection of food, art, community and contemporary Indian culture. Come wander through our streets of curiosity. Come take a seat at the table.
WELCOMETO
OURTABLE
OUR
ETHOS
The Gathering exists to distill the essence of dining in contemporary India. It brings together the country’s most compelling ideas, tastes, and creations into one unique, shared experience.
We believe that culture shouldn’t just be consumed but felt, exchanged, and built in conversation. Each edition is a deliberate composition of people, moments, and stories that define what it means to live, create, and connect in modern India.
At The Gathering every table, every sound, every encounter is a dialogue between tradition and transformation. This is a space where India’s creative vanguard meets to think, taste, and feel the future together.
The Gathering was created to change how India experiences food. Edition after edition, it builds a new vocabulary for the country’s culinary appetite - one that honours craft and context while embracing risk and reinvention.
This is not a festival about what’s fashionable now, but about what’s next. A living interaction between flavour, philosophy, community and creation. This is a space where India’s creative future takes shape - bold, expressive, and unmistakably its own.
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