Swiggy, in collaboration with Kearney, has released the 2025 edition of its annual How India Eats report, offering a detailed look at India’s evolving food habits and the outlook for the country’s fast-expanding food services sector.
The report projects that India’s food services market will surpass USD 125 billion by 2030, driven primarily by rapid growth in the organized segment. This segment is expected to grow at twice the pace of the unorganized market and contribute over 60% of the sector’s total expansion as it moves toward becoming the dominant format. Despite currently accounting for 1.9% of India’s GDP, the sector has substantial growth potential when compared with markets like China (5%) and Brazil (6%).
The study shows that Indian consumers are becoming more exploratory in their food choices, with a 20% rise in unique cuisines ordered per customer and a 30% increase in the number of restaurants they engage with. Late-night ordering continues to surge, growing three times faster than dinner orders. At the same time, indulgence and health trends are evolving in parallel, with demand for healthier meals growing at 2.3 times the pace of overall orders-driven by preferences for high-protein, low-calorie, and low–added sugar options.
Regional and global cuisines are emerging as major growth drivers. Hyper-regional Indian cuisines such as Goan, Bihari, and Pahari are expanding 2–8 times faster than mainstream categories. Traditional beverages including buttermilk and sharbat are growing 4–6 times faster than other beverage categories, prompting global QSR brands to introduce India-inspired offerings. On the global front, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mexican cuisines are continuing their rise, with search interest for Boba Tea up 11x and Matcha Tea up 4x over the last five years.
Rohit Kapoor, CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace, noted the rapid evolution of the industry: “Expectations on speed are being reshaped by quick commerce-our 10-minute delivery service, Bolt, now contributes over 10% of orders. Consumers want value in familiar cuisines but are also embracing new trends like Matcha and Boba Tea. QSRs and cloud kitchens are scaling quickly, projected to grow at 17%+ CAGR, nearly 1.5x the pace of the organized sector.”
Rajat Tuli, Partner and F&B Lead at Kearney, highlighted a shifting market landscape: “India’s food economy is broadening beyond metros. Dining-out growth in cities beyond the top eight is twice that of major metros, powered by corporate, industrial, education, and tourism hubs. Gen Z is a major catalyst- growing 3x faster than other cohorts in dining-out and driving demand for new experiences such as coffee raves and Instagram-worthy venues.”
The report also underscores the need for players to balance speed, affordability, and experience. Over 75% of marketing spending is now directed toward digital channels to target younger audiences. Pre-booking for dining-out is rising sharply-7x faster than walk-ins, while accessible price points are boosting growth in familiar cuisines like North Indian and Italian by 10–40%. Innovative delivery formats are becoming more common, mimicking e-commerce unboxing moments with concepts like butterfly burger boxes and slow-cooked biryani in earthen handis.
The How India Eats 2025 report points to a sector primed for strong expansion, with widening opportunities across organized, quick commerce, and digital-first food ecosystems.
