Mumbai, February 2026: In a rare and powerful full-circle moment for the Indian culinary ecosystem, Chef Sanjyot Keer, Founder of YourFoodLab and India’s largest culinary content platform, has returned to the MasterChef India kitchen – not behind the camera, but at the centre of it.
On 20th January 2026, Chef Sanjyot stepped into the iconic MasterChef set as a Special Judge and Episode Host, leading a high-stakes elimination round that aired on 6th February 2026. What makes this return extraordinary is the journey that led here.
Back in 2014, Chef Sanjyot was part of the production team on MasterChef India, working quietly behind the scenes and absorbing the craft, pressure, and storytelling of the show. That experience would go on to shape his future in ways no one could have predicted.
Inspired by his time on MasterChef, Chef Sanjyot launched YourFoodLab in April 2016, beginning his journey as a content creator at a time when the creator economy in India was still nascent. Nearly a decade later, he has built India’s most influential digital-first culinary brand, commanding the highest digital footprint among chefs in the country, and creating original, scalable food IPs that blend entertainment, education, and culture.
A defining highlight of this comeback was the integration of his hit format ‘Cook-Along with Sanjyot Keer’ into MasterChef India – a format so impactful that it was specially requested by the show’s producers. Known for featuring global and Indian icons such as Ed Sheeran, Ajay Devgn, Sourav Ganguly, Sanya Malhotra, and Tanmay Bhat, the format saw Chef Sanjyot not just judging, but hosting, cooking alongside contestants, and shaping the narrative of the elimination episode.
From being behind the camera to commanding the MasterChef kitchen, this moment marks more than a personal milestone – it reflects a broader shift in India’s food and entertainment landscape. Chef Sanjyot represents a new generation of creator-led culinary talent, where chefs are not just experts in the kitchen, but storytellers, hosts, and IP-builders who influence culture at scale.
Speaking on the moment, Chef Sanjyot shared that returning to MasterChef felt like “coming home – but with a decade of learning, building, and belief behind me.”
Today, YourFoodLab stands as a testament to that belief – a platform that has redefined how India consumes food content, nurtured community-driven learning, and bridged the gap between traditional television and digital-first storytelling.
Chef Sanjyot is available to speak about this milestone, his decade-long journey, the evolution of food entertainment in India, and what this full-circle return truly means to him – personally and professionally.