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Ritu Dalmia Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth26 September 1972

Age54 years

BirthplaceKolkata, West Bengal, India

ProfessionChef and Restaurateur

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Gautam Dalmia; has a brother

Ritu Dalmia Biography

Ritu Dalmia was born on 26 September 1972 in Kolkata, West Bengal. Raised in a family where her father, Gautam Dalmia, worked in the stone import business, she was exposed to travel and international trade from a young age.

Early life and background

Ritu Dalmia was born on 26 September 1972 in Kolkata, West Bengal. Raised in a family where her father, Gautam Dalmia, worked in the stone import business, she was exposed to travel and international trade from a young age. Although her family maintained a vegetarian household, Dalmia developed an interest in cooking early on and experimented with non-vegetarian dishes during her childhood.

At 16 she began working in the family business, traveling abroad to source materials. Those trips, particularly visits to Italy, sparked her lasting fascination with Italian food and laid the groundwork for her later career as a chef and restaurateur.

Career

Dalmia opened her first restaurant at 21, launching Mezza Luna in Hauz Khas Village, Delhi, in 1993 with personal savings. That initial venture closed after a couple of years, and she sold the business in 1995. She then moved to London and co-opened the Indian restaurant Vama with chef Andy Verma. After early financial struggles, Vama became successful and provided Dalmia with greater business experience.

She returned to India in 2000 and founded DIVA in Delhi, an Italian-focused restaurant that earned a strong following for its fresh, home-style preparations. As the brand grew, Dalmia concentrated on expanding her restaurant portfolio. Over time she launched multiple outlets, including Latitude 28 and Cafe Diva, and later extended the DIVA brand internationally and across India.

Her international work includes opening Cittamani, an Indian restaurant in Milan in 2017, and partnering with Italian chef Viviana Varese to open Spica in Milan. Back in India, she introduced a DIVA location at Andores Resort & Spa in Goa in 2018, and continued to expand with The Tasting Room by DIVA in Lower Parel, Mumbai in 2021. That same year she opened a pizza eatery called Motodo at Jio World Drive in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.

Dalmia has also been visible on television as the host of cooking shows including Italian Khana and Travelling Diva on NDTV Good Times. She is the author of three cookbooks: Italian Khaana, Travelling DIVA, and DIVA Green: A Vegetarian Cookbook.

Recognition and awards

Her culinary work and influence have been acknowledged with several honours. In 2016 she was named among India’s 25 biggest chefs by a national federation of culinary professionals. The following year brought further recognition: she was included in a Forbes India list of influential women, and received Italy’s civilian honour Ordine Della Stella d'Italia. Additional awards in 2017 and later include a Sunday Standard award and being named among delWine’s Top Ten Indian Women of Wine (WOW) in 2019.

DIVA, her flagship restaurant, has been widely praised. It was listed among Condé Nast Traveller India’s 50 biggest restaurants in 2018, won Favourite Italian Restaurant (Standalone) at the Peaklife Gourmet Awards in 2019, and was recognized as the best Italian restaurant in the premium dining category by the Times Food Nightlife Awards in 2022.

Public profile

Dalmia is open about her sexual orientation and publicly came to terms with being a lesbian in her early twenties. She and her parents navigated that personal revelation together, and she later became a petitioner in the legal challenge to Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the provision that criminalised homosexual acts. When the Supreme Court of India struck down the provision in 2018, she described the ruling as a profoundly meaningful milestone.

Known for a hands-on approach, Dalmia describes herself as work-driven, detail-oriented, and controlling when it comes to her restaurants. During the COVID-19 pandemic she voiced criticism of the government’s support for the restaurant industry, speaking out about the severe impact lockdowns had on food businesses.

Latest updates

In recent years Dalmia continued to expand her restaurant operations both in India and in Milan, adding new DIVA locations and partnerships. Her 2021 openings included The Tasting Room by DIVA in Mumbai and the Motodo pizza eatery in Bandra Kurla Complex. She has maintained a presence in media through television appearances and her published cookbooks.

Personal life

Dalmia is unmarried. She attended Convent of Jesus, Delhi during her schooling years and identifies as Indian by nationality. Her father is Gautam Dalmia; information about her mother is not publicly detailed in the available material. She has one brother. Her listed physical characteristics include a height of approximately 168 cm (5'6"), weight around 60 kg (132 lbs), and black hair and eyes.

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Recent Work

The Tasting Room by DIVA

Opened a DIVA restaurant location in Lower Parel, Mumbai

2021
Motodo

Opened a pizza eatery at Jio World Drive, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai

2021
Cittamani

Opened an Indian restaurant in Milan

2017
Spica

Opened a restaurant in Milan in partnership with Viviana Varese

2017
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Career Highlights

  1. Founder of DIVA restaurant chain, known for Italian cuisine
  2. Named among India’s 25 biggest chefs (2016)
  3. Listed on Forbes India W-Power Trailblazers (2017)
  4. Received Italy’s Ordine Della Stella d'Italia (2017)
  5. DIVA named among Condé Nast Traveller India’s 50 biggest restaurants (2018)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ritu Dalmia born?

Ritu Dalmia was born on 26 September 1972.

What is Ritu Dalmia known for?

Ritu Dalmia is known for chef and Restaurateur.

What is Ritu Dalmia’s marital status?

Ritu Dalmia's marital status is listed as Unmarried.