Representatives of 20 MSMEs involved in culinary sector in the Union Territory will travel to Thailand and Malaysia after they won a cooking competition organised by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII).

EDII is a Gujarat-based institute involved in the implementation of Central government’s Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme in Puducherry in collaboration with the Puducherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation Limited, Government of Puducherry.

The EDII in a release said around 39 MSMEs participated in the cooking competition held recently to promote local culinary talent, encourage innovation, and showcase region’s food heritage. A jury drawn from the hospitality industry evaluated the entries based on criteria, including taste, innovation, presentation, use of local ingredients and overall culinary excellence, the release said.

The selected winners will be taken to Thailand and Malaysia to help them gain global insights into culinary practices, emerging market trends, and business expansion strategies. The RAMP programme was aimed at strengthening MSMEs, enhancing market access, improving competitiveness, and enabling capacity building through structured interventions and institutional support, the release added.