Key Takeaways
• Singapore Airlines upgrades Indian cuisine menus in premium cabins starting May 1, 2025, on India-Singapore routes.
• Chef Sanjeev Kapoor collaborates on new Shahi Thali and Ruchi Thali menus, featuring increased variety and regional authenticity.
• Shahi Thali available on Delhi/Mumbai-Singapore flights; Ruchi Thali offered on all eight Singapore-India city routes in Business Class.
Premium cabin travelers flying between India 🇮🇳 and Singapore 🇸🇬 with Singapore Airlines can look forward to a much richer in-flight dining experience starting May 1, 2025. Singapore Airlines has announced a major upgrade to its Indian cuisine menu for Suites, First Class, and Business Class passengers on its India routes. These new menus aim to reflect the flavors and traditions that matter most to Indian travelers, making each trip feel more like home—even at 35,000 feet.
The move is especially meaningful for travelers who value authentic taste, thoughtful meal presentation, and the comfort of familiar dishes while overseas. It also shows just how important the India 🇮🇳 market is for Singapore Airlines, as passenger demand and expectations on routes between the two countries have risen quickly in recent years.
Let’s take a closer look at the changes, the thinking behind them, and what they could mean for both travelers and the airline’s reputation in a lively travel corridor.
What’s New for Indian Cuisine on Singapore Airlines?
Collaborating with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
One of the biggest highlights of the new menu is Singapore Airlines’ partnership with chef Sanjeev Kapoor. He is one of India’s most well-known chefs, famous across the country for his cooking shows and cookbooks. Singapore Airlines picked chef Sanjeev Kapoor to join forces with their International Culinary Panel and to help the airline bring the best of Indian cuisine into the sky.
Thanks to this collaboration, the Shahi Thali (for Suites and First Class) and Ruchi Thali (for Business Class) menus have been completely re-imagined. The Shahi Thali, which means “royal platter” in Hindi, now offers an even more complete dining experience, while the Ruchi Thali (“taste platter”) brings that same attention to detail to Business Class.
Menu Details: More Variety, More Flavor
Shahi Thali (Suites and First Class):
– Now includes eight different parts (instead of six) in the main course
– Guests receive six vegetable or meat dishes, rice, and paratha (a kind of Indian flatbread)
– Meals are served with both cold and hot appetizers, a dessert, and a traditional lassi (yogurt drink)
Ruchi Thali (Business Class):
– Main course now has six parts (up from four)
– Features four vegetable or meat dishes, rice, and paratha
– Also includes a starter, kachumber salad (a fresh Indian salad), dessert, and lassi
This increase in variety means travelers will get to enjoy more kinds of dishes during their flight, which helps break the monotony that can come from long trips.
Authentic Presentation: Serving More Than Just Food
To make the experience even more special, Singapore Airlines paid close attention to how meals are presented. Passengers in Suites and First Class will see their meals served on hammered-finish, copper-colored steel thalis, a type of plate traditionally used in Indian homes for festive or royal meals. In Business Class, thalis will come in a hammered-finish silver color. These changes connect passengers to their roots and make the meal feel truly memorable.
Regional Diversity and Health Conscious Choices
The new menus don’t only focus on North Indian dishes, which tends to be the case with many international airlines. Instead, Singapore Airlines, working with chef Sanjeev Kapoor, reached across India’s vast regions for inspiration. This means both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices reflect foods from many parts of the country—so travelers get to sample flavors from their home region or discover something new from elsewhere in India 🇮🇳.
Health is also a big focus. Dishes include gut-friendly ingredients such as turmeric and ginger. These are not only familiar flavors to Indian taste buds, but they’re also well-known for helping with digestion, which is important while flying.
Traditional cooking methods like tandoor roasting (using a clay oven), clay pot slow-cooking, and iron griddle (tawa) frying are all used. Even though you’re eating miles above the ground, the food tastes like it came out of your mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen, not a mass-prepared airline galley.
Menus Designed for Air Travelers
Cooking and eating at high altitude isn’t exactly the same as on the ground—your sense of taste changes, and the air inside the plane is very dry. By using bold flavors and paying special attention to things like the use of spices and keeping the food moist, the new menus aim to deliver full, rich taste in every bite.
Which Flights Get the New Menus?
Singapore Airlines runs up to 92 flights each week connecting Singapore 🇸🇬 with India’s 🇮🇳 major cities. These include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. That’s a large number of routes, showing how important the connection between the two countries is for business, families, and tourism.
- Shahi Thali Menu:
- Only available in Suites and First Class
- Only on flights between Singapore 🇸🇬 and Delhi/Mumbai
- Ruchi Thali Menu:
- Available in Business Class
- Available on all Singapore–India routes from the eight main Indian cities
So, if you’re flying Business Class from, for example, Chennai or Kolkata to Singapore, you’ll enjoy the new Ruchi Thali. If you’re traveling in top-tier cabins from Delhi or Mumbai, the even more elaborate Shahi Thali awaits.
Why Is Singapore Airlines Making This Change?
There are a few clear reasons. First, the airline recognizes that India 🇮🇳 is a very important market. With a growing middle class, more business travelers, and greater demand for high-quality services, Indian travelers expect much more than they did just a few years ago. Food is a huge part of the travel experience, and for many, it’s where airlines can stand out from the crowd.
By working closely with chef Sanjeev Kapoor and bringing in more authentic tastes, Singapore Airlines is aiming to win loyalty from passengers who feel at home with the food on board. They also want to impress first-time or luxury travelers who will compare this airline with others.
Yeoh Phee Teik, Senior Vice President Customer Experience at Singapore Airlines, put it like this:
“Our refreshed Shahi Thali and Ruchi Thali demonstrate our commitment to elevate the in-flight dining experience and delight our customers.”
This shows that the focus isn’t just on filling bellies, but on delivering something joyful and personal.
How Does This Affect Travelers?
A Feeling of Home, Even in the Air
For many travelers, especially those who fly often between India 🇮🇳 and Singapore 🇸🇬 for work, family, or study, these menu changes offer a link to home while they’re far away. The comfort of familiar spices, smells, and foods is powerful and can make a long, tiring flight feel easier.
More Choice for Different Diets
Indian cuisine is famous for its wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The new menus continue this tradition, making sure that everyone—including travelers with strict diets or allergies—can find something suitable.
Better Health and Digestion
With gut-friendly ingredients like turmeric and ginger included in many dishes, travelers may also find the meal easier to digest. This is especially helpful in the dry conditions of airplane cabins, which can sometimes upset people’s stomachs.
Impact on Singapore Airlines and the India–Singapore Route
By investing in better food and unique experiences, Singapore Airlines puts itself ahead of the competition on India routes. Many travelers are willing to pay extra for better service and food. The new Indian menu can help the airline fill premium seats and win passengers who may have other choices, such as other Asian or Middle Eastern carriers.
At the same time, the new menu makes Singapore Airlines a leader in respecting and celebrating Indian culture on board. When an airline gets the small details of food and presentation right, it signals care and respect for the customer. This matters to business travelers, families going abroad, and students heading to school in Singapore 🇸🇬.
A Broader Trend in International Travel
Singapore Airlines isn’t the first carrier to make a big deal out of authentic regional dining, but their expanded effort—especially with the involvement of chef Sanjeev Kapoor—sets a new standard for Indian cuisine in the sky. It matches growing traveler demand for “real” food, less processed ingredients, and a taste of home.
Travel industry insiders see this as part of a larger move, where airlines do more than just serve plain meals—they try to tell a story with the food and connect people to their roots, even when they’re thousands of kilometers from home.
What About Immigration and Global Mobility?
Better food can make long flights much more appealing, especially for people who need to travel often for work, business, or family reasons. The India–Singapore route is especially busy with students, workers, and families moving between the two countries. When airlines respond to the needs of these travelers, it shows how air travel is about much more than getting from point A to point B.
For those considering moves to Singapore, or for Singaporean citizens coming to India, a comfortable flight can help set a positive mood for big life changes. In fact, Singapore Airlines offers a lot more than just good food—it is also an official partner for many travelers handling visa and immigration questions, thanks to its key role connecting both countries.
If you’re interested in the steps for visas, entry rules, and travel between Singapore 🇸🇬 and India 🇮🇳, you can find details about travel and immigration requirements at Singapore’s official immigration website, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. This is a helpful place to start if you’re planning a visit or longer stay.
The Bottom Line: A Celebration in the Sky
With the new menus designed by chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Singapore Airlines will offer much more than a meal in the sky—it will provide passengers with an experience that brings together the best of Indian hospitality, tradition, and comfort. From hammered-finish thalis to the careful use of spices, every detail is meant to bring joy and a taste of home to travelers, whether they’re flying for work, study, or fun.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, this move highlights Singapore Airlines’ focus on cultural respect and luxury for one of its fastest-growing markets. The combination of familiar flavors, healthier choices, and beautiful presentation aims to create lasting memories—making the journey as enjoyable as the destination.
In summary, whether you’re a regular on the India–Singapore route or taking this flight for the first time, starting May 2025, you’ll find Singapore Airlines taking Indian cuisine in the air to an all-new level. If you want to read more about required travel documents or immigration processes, check out the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s official site for up-to-date information and useful forms.
From thoughtful flavors to a seat at the (airborne) table, Singapore Airlines’ revamped menu is set to make each trip between India and Singapore not just another flight, but a true celebration of Indian cuisine—one delicious mile at a time.
Learn Today
Shahi Thali → A luxurious multi-course Indian meal served on a platter, offered in First Class and Suites for enhanced authenticity.
Ruchi Thali → A regional Indian meal platter in Business Class, focusing on varied flavors and traditional presentation for premium passengers.
International Culinary Panel → A group of renowned chefs collaborating with Singapore Airlines to create and perfect in-flight dining experiences.
Tandoor Roasting → A traditional Indian cooking technique using a clay oven to impart smoky flavors and retain moisture in foods.
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority → Singapore’s official agency overseeing entry, visas, and border security for travelers entering or transiting the country.
This Article in a Nutshell
Starting May 2025, Singapore Airlines elevates in-flight Indian cuisine for premium cabins, partnering with chef Sanjeev Kapoor. New Shahi Thali and Ruchi Thali menus bring regional authenticity, healthier ingredients, and festive presentation, connecting travelers to their roots. This initiative deepens the airline’s commitment to cultural respect, comfort, and customer loyalty on key India routes.
— By VisaVerge.com
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