The People Behind KitZap

Ajit Kumar's culinary journey began over 18 years ago in the kitchens of The Oberoi Group, where he trained under some of India's most demanding executive chefs. Rising quickly through the ranks, he served as Sous Chef at The Leela Palace, New Delhi, before taking on the role of Executive Chef at Hyatt Regency, Kolkata, where he led a brigade of 45 chefs and oversaw banqueting operations serving up to 2,000 guests daily.

His deep understanding of large-scale kitchen operations, cost management, and menu engineering led him to a pivotal realization: the hospitality industry was overdue for a systematic, technology-driven approach to kitchen optimization. In 2019, Ajit founded KitZap with a mission to bring precision, efficiency, and measurable outcomes to every kitchen he touches.

An alumnus of the Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa (New Delhi), Ajit holds certifications in Food Safety Management (ISO 22000) and Lean Six Sigma for Hospitality. He has consulted for over 120 institutional kitchens across India, from corporate campuses to luxury hotel chains.

Debashish Verma spent the first 15 years of his career immersed in professional kitchens, beginning as a commis chef at ITC Maurya's celebrated Bukhara restaurant. His formative years were shaped by the discipline and precision demanded by one of Asia's most iconic dining establishments. He went on to hold positions at Taj Hotels, Radisson Blu, and Marriott International, specializing in North Indian and pan-Asian cuisines.

As Chef de Cuisine at the Marriott Jaipur, Debashish managed multi-outlet food production and built a reputation for building teams that delivered consistently under pressure. His natural ability to listen, communicate, and solve problems on the floor eventually led him to transition from the kitchen into client-facing operations.

At KitZap, Debashish leads the Customer Success division, ensuring every client engagement translates into measurable impact. His rare combination of hands-on kitchen experience and client relationship acumen makes him the ideal bridge between KitZap's technical solutions and the real-world demands of food service operations. He is a certified Hospitality Management Professional from NIHM, Hyderabad.

Chef Veenu Malhotra is a culinary artist with over 17 years of experience across fine dining, large-format catering, and institutional food service. She began her career at the Welcomhotel by ITC in Dwarka, where she honed her skills in classical French and contemporary Indian techniques. Her talent earned her a scholarship to train at Le Cordon Bleu, London, where she specialized in pâtisserie and advanced culinary arts.

Returning to India, Veenu held the position of Executive Chef at The Park Hotels, Chennai, where she reimagined the hotel's entire F&B offering and introduced a farm-to-table programme that reduced ingredient costs by 22% while elevating guest satisfaction scores. She later led culinary operations at a leading airline catering facility in Mumbai, managing production of over 15,000 meals per day.

At KitZap, Veenu serves as Head Chef and leads the culinary consulting practice. She works directly with clients to design menus that are not only delicious but operationally efficient, nutritionally balanced, and cost-optimized. Her philosophy is simple: great food and smart operations are not mutually exclusive — they amplify each other.