Festive binge: Diwali charm kicks in, so does love for food deliveries; Swiggy, Magicpin report spike

Cuisine continues to remain at the heart of festivities with Indians ordering more food online as Diwali draws near.Online food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Magicpin have witnessed a huge surge in orders, with even more expected in the coming days. Anshoo Sharma, CEO and Co-founder of Magicpin, told PTI that the platform is preparing for even larger volumes in the coming weeks. “We expect to double last year’s numbers on food delivery,” said Sidharth Bhakoo, chief business officer at Swiggy’s Food Marketplace. According to Bhakoo, major cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata are leading the surge, while smaller cities like Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, and Vadodara are also showing strong demand. Choco lava cakes topped dessert orders in metros, while Kolkata maintained its love for biryani. “The data reflects one clear trend — food delivery has become the heart of how India celebrates together,” he added. Sharma said that vegetarian and thali orders jumped nearly 40% during Navratri. After Dussehra, demand for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes returned to normal levels as people resumed their usual eating habits.Magicpin also saw a 2.5 times increase in bulk and party food orders after Navratri, and the momentum continued into October, with a 30% rise in orders on October 10 compared to regular days.