Inside Hyderabad’s cloud kitchen where young adults with autism are learning to bake and belong
A vocational center in Hyderabad called FlipSide Workspace has launched a cloud kitchen initiative to provide sustainable employment for young adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. The program focuses on culinary training to move beyond tokenistic job placements and foster genuine professional inclusion.
Why it matters
It demonstrates a shift toward inclusive, skill-based employment models for neurodivergent individuals, challenging traditional corporate approaches to disability hiring.
It is a regular weekday at A Seat at the Table, a cloud kitchen housed within FlipSide Workspace, an inclusive vocational centre in Hyderabad for young adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Down Syndrome. As Pal Pal Pal Har Pal plays on a mobile phone in the background, five students — Amit, Neeraj, Sri Chandan, Karishma and Aanchal —follow picture-based recipe cards and move through each step of baking.
Under the watchful eyes of a baking teacher and an assistant coordinator, they prepare vada bombs, bakery-style buns filled with spiced potato. When FlipSide Workspace founder Urmila Hemmadi asks, "We're trying something new today. What is it?", the group replies in unison: "Avakaya cheese bun."
Karishma rolls a choco-based cookie | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
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