Familiar flavours dominate as experimentation grows at the margins, shows Swiggy data

India’s food ordering habits are settling into a rhythm rather than chasing novelty, with consumers leaning heavily on familiar favourites while quietly widening their palate.

Swiggy’s annual consumption report, How India Swiggy’d 2025, shows that while experimentation is growing, trust and routine still anchor how Indians eat at home and outside.

Biryani retained its crown for the tenth straight year, with 93 million orders placed in 2025, translating to over three orders every second, according to the report. Chicken biryani alone accounted for nearly 58 million orders, making it the most repeated choice across the platform. Burgers and pizzas followed, clocking 44.2 million and 40.1 million orders respectively, underlining how predictable comfort foods continue to dominate India’s delivery economy.

Yet beneath that consistency, shifts are visible. Global cuisines are moving from niche to habit. Mexican food crossed 16 million orders during the year, Tibetan food saw over 12 million orders, while Korean cuisine touched 4.7 million. Matcha emerged as the most searched global flavour, pointing to rising curiosity, especially among urban consumers.

At the same time, local is staging a comeback. Swiggy said Pahari cuisine recorded a nine-fold jump in orders, while Malabari, Rajasthani and Malvani food saw nearly double the demand compared to last year.

“In India, food is never just food, it’s how moments begin,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace. “It isn’t just about the mind-blowing 93 million biryanis ordered, the growing appetite for global cuisines, or rediscovering local favourites. It’s about what sits beneath those numbers: moods, memories, and moments that people chose to celebrate with food.”

The data also points to how timing and convenience are reshaping consumption. Dinner orders were nearly 32% higher than lunch, reinforcing the role of food delivery as an end-of-day default. Snack-time orders between 3 pm and 7 pm surged, led by burgers, rolls and pizzas, while late-night ordering between midnight and 2 am has moved firmly into the mainstream. Chicken burgers topped late-night orders, followed by biryani and pizzas.

Value-led formats and faster delivery are gaining traction beyond the metros. Swiggy’s Bolt, its quick delivery option, saw the highest usage in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai, but cities such as Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Vizag and Kochi emerged as strong growth markets. Similarly, Swiggy’s 99Store, which focuses on lower-priced meals, saw heavy adoption in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai, alongside rising demand from Indore, Vizag and Kochi.

Dining out, too, is becoming more deliberate. Swiggy Dineout seated 23.7 million diners in 2025, more than doubling average daily bookings from a year ago. While Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad led volumes, emerging cities such as Jaipur, Chandigarh and Kochi featured prominently, signalling that eating out is no longer a metro-only indulgence.