Chef Vikas Khanna was raised in Amritsar, India, where he grew up amidst a succession of large family feasts, seasonal produce fresh from the fields of Punjab, and, of course, his grandmother's cooking. In fact, it was at his grandmother's side that Khanna began his lifelong apprenticeship to learn the intricacies of Indian cuisine-and the true depth of the experience of food in daily life.

It wasn't a major leap for Khanna from his grandmother's side to his own catering business, Lawrence Gardens, which he started at a mere 17 years old. And after graduating from the Welcome Group Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Khanna pursued further study under many renowned chefs in India and beyond. Khanna continued his training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. And, eventually landing in the United States, he studied at Cornell, New York University, and the Culinary Institute of America.

Khanna's extensive (multi-continent, multi-institutional) training and deep-seated passion for the power of cuisine coalesce at New York City's Junoon, where Khanna prepares soulful, elegant Indian cuisine that takes the experience of dining to another level of appreciation. He is also the host of "MasterChef India" and producer of the film, "The Last Color." Additionally, Mr. Khanna is a humanitarian, responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by launching the "Feed India" initiative.