Diwali food delivery orders rise 10.7% on Swiggy; Dineout bookings jump 38.5%

India's Diwali celebrations are increasingly extending beyond home kitchens, with food delivery platforms and restaurant bookings seeing a rise in demand during the festive weekend. Swiggy reported a 10.7% year-on-year increase in food delivery orders between November 6 and 8, 2026, while reservations on its Dineout platform on Diwali day surged 38.5% compared with last year.

The platform handled an average of 97,545 food orders every hour during the three-day festive period, reflecting the continued demand for convenience during celebrations. The growth in restaurant bookings also points to a growing appetite for dining out, particularly among urban consumers.

According to Swiggy, reservations on Diwali eve, November 7, rose 7.4% compared with October 19 last year, while bookings on Diwali day, November 8, increased 38.5% against October 20, 2025.

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai led restaurant bookings across metros between November 6 and 7. Among emerging markets, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Chandigarh recorded the highest bookings.

Sweets dominate festive orders

Food preferences during the festive weekend reflected a mix of traditional favourites and everyday meals. Masala Dosa, Kaju Katli and Paneer Butter Masala featured among the most ordered dishes nationwide, while Appam and Samosa made their way into the top 10 in emerging markets.

Kaju Katli emerged as the most ordered sweet on the platform, followed by Motichoor Ladoo, Rasgulla and Gulab Jamun. The popularity of Kaju Katli was particularly pronounced in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad.

The scale of individual orders also underscored the importance of sweets and festive gifting during the period. A customer in Hyderabad placed one of the country's largest single orders on November 6, purchasing 57 packets of assorted sweets worth ₹41,895. On Diwali day, a Mumbai-based customer placed an order worth ₹41,772 for seven curated hampers of assorted sweets.

Not just limited to home celebrations, Rrestaurant dining also saw some large-ticket occasions, with a Mumbai restaurant recording a bill of ₹1,34,210 on November 6. In Gujarat, group dining gained traction, with bookings for 30 people each in Surat and Ahmedabad.