Vedant Newatia

Vedant Newatia, Founder and Head Chef, Atelier V was born and raised in Indore. Vedant’s journey to becoming a chef and hospitality entrepreneur is as layered and flavourful as the food he now serves.

A proud alumnus of Daly College, Vedant was exposed early to global cultures thanks to international exchange programs and well-travelled peers. Yet, despite excelling in academics and nurturing a deep love for astrophysics, it was food that eventually became his true calling.

As someone who excelled in academics and had an interest in astrophysics, the switch to being a chef wasn’t a single moment but a gradual realisation. “Astrophysics fascinated me because it’s about understanding the unknown, about piecing together patterns in something as vast and incomprehensible as the universe. In some ways, cooking feels very similar. You take elements — flavours, textures, temperatures — and try to make sense of them in ways that resonate emotionally.

I realised that success on paper doesn’t necessarily equal fulfilment. I didn’t feel that visceral joy I now feel when I plate a dish and see someone’s face light up after the first bite. Food has immediacy — you create something with your hands, and you know the reaction instantly. 

There was also the pull of creativity. I didn’t want to be bound only to theory. Cooking gave me a space where science and art coexisted. Every dish involves precision, but also instinct. That balance is what excited me more than anything else.

So, the switch wasn’t about abandoning science — it was about finding a way to live it differently. Today, I still think like a scientist (or so I would like to think): I experiment, I observe the outcomes, and I refine the variables. My tools are knives, pans, and ingredients.

It happened in stages. There were moments when I cooked for friends and family and realised that the happiness food brings is unmatched. But the real turning point was when I started working in professional kitchens abroad. Kitchens are brutal — the pace, the precision, the expectations. But even in the chaos, I found a strange sense of peace. While others saw it as pressure, I saw it as rhythm, almost like music.”

Career Milestones

• Training and early work abroad: Working across Chile, France, New York, and Washington D.C. gave me a foundation that shaped both my skill set and my perspective. Each location taught me something unique — from precision in French kitchens to bold flavours in America.
• European Bartender School, Amsterdam: This was another defining chapter. Learning about cocktails in such depth expanded my understanding of balance, craft, and restraint.
• Returning to India: Coming back to Indore was a milestone in itself. People questioned why I would return to a smaller city rather than opening in Mumbai or Delhi. But for me, Indore was home, and I wanted to create something meaningful here.
• Launching Atelier V: The culmination of years of learning, travelling, and experimenting.

Read the full story that first appeared in The Global Indian here: