Celebrating the remarkable milestone with the coveted spot, he said that the recognition brings a “big honour for the years of consistency” for him.
Celebrity chef and restauranter Vikas Khanna shared a heartfelt note on Instagram after he was named among TIME’s Most Influential People of 2026, saying that it is not just a milestone, but a deeply personal moment that brings his entire journey full circle.
Celebrating the remarkable milestone with the coveted spot, he said that the recognition brings a “big honour for the years of consistency” for him. He said that this achievement isn’t his alone. “This is not just my journey of 41 years of consistency. This belongs to every mother, every teacher, every sister, every hand that believed, and every plate that carried a story forward,” he said in the Instagram post.
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“I have no words to fully express my gratitude for being named among TIME’s Most Influential People of 2026. What a moment—for Indian cuisine, for our culture, for every story that began in a humble kitchen,” he said, shifting the focus from himself to the larger journey of Indian food and tradition on the global stage.
The chef also recalled his days of struggle and said that who would have imagined that a boy who used to roll breads at Golden Temple would lead to the biggest platform in the World
“Who would have imagined that a boy from the narrow lanes of Amritsar—who struggled to run with other kids, who knew that rolling breads at Golden Temple would lead to the biggest platform in the World, who chose cooking as an act of rebellion, who once sold chole bhature as a small dream—would one day find his name among the world’s most influential voices,” he added.
Khanna also took a moment to thank chef Eric Ripert, who wrote his introduction for the magazine, and his family, calling them his “first family” in the United States—a reminder of the relationships that shaped his path along the way.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Khanna expressed much gratitude and pride.
“I feel more for all the people who have stood by me all these decades. This is a big achievement for both our Indian culture and cuisine. I believe this will help volumise our voices in Indian cuisine,” Khanna said.
He spoke about how the recognition brings a “big honour for the years of consistency” for him.
“Even if people don’t show up, I believe Indian food is the game,” Vikas Khanna added.
As the recognition sparked a wave of joy for proud Indians, Khanna received one of the first greetings from Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
