MasterChef India Season 9 Winner: Who are Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe, the Nagpur brothers who lifted the trophy

MasterChef India Season 9 has found its winners, with Nagpur-based brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe lifting the trophy in the grand finale. Their victory marked the culmination of an inspiring culinary journey that highlighted the richness and creativity of Indian cuisine.

The finale episode aired on Friday, March 6, on Sony TV and the streaming platform SonyLIV.

Winners and Runners-Up of the Season

While Vikram and Ajinkya secured the winning title, the Odisha-based sister duo Anju and Manju finished as the first runners-up. Meanwhile, Sai Sri and her mother Chandana ended their journey as the second runners-up.

The winning duo received the Golden Chef Coat along with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh. The first runners-up, Anju and Manju, were awarded approximately Rs 15 lakh, while Sai Sri and Chandana took home around Rs 5 lakh.

Journey of the Winning Brothers
The Gandhe brothers consistently stood out as strong contenders throughout the competition. Before participating in the show, they were already involved in the culinary field through their café in Nagpur.

Ajinkya, the younger sibling, is an architect by profession. At just 24 years old, he launched his first café in Goa. More recently, he and Vikram opened a café together in Nagpur named Place.

Vikram’s journey in the food business began much earlier. He started cooking professionally after opening a small canteen at the age of 19, which gradually shaped his culinary path.

A Unique “Jodi” Format This Season
The ninth season of MasterChef India premiered in January and introduced a jodi format for the first time. This format allowed family members or partners to compete together as teams.

Celebrity Judges and Challenging Competition
The season was judged by renowned chefs Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar, and Kunal Kapur.

Throughout the season, contestants faced a series of demanding challenges from mystery box tasks to intense elimination rounds. These tests pushed participants to reinterpret traditional Indian flavours with modern culinary techniques, eventually narrowing the competition down to the three strongest finalists.