India’s food delivery market is poised for robust growth in 2026, driven by a sharper focus on customer experience, faster delivery, and value-led offerings, according to industry players Swiggy and Magicpin.
Executives from both platforms said evolving consumer expectations and tighter daily schedules are reshaping how food delivery services are designed and scaled. The next phase of growth, they noted, will hinge on balancing speed, affordability and reliability while expanding merchant participation.
Anshoo Sharma, Founder and CEO of Magicpin, said growth will come from deeper merchant inclusion and catering to increasingly value-conscious consumers. “We are scaling by onboarding a wide range of merchants—from single, local restaurants to large national chains—enabling them to compete effectively in the digital economy,” Sharma told PTI. Lowering entry barriers and improving unit economics for merchants will help create a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem, he added.
Swiggy’s CEO of Food Marketplace, Rohit Kapoo,r said food delivery has evolved to fit into consumers’ longer days and changing priorities. “Sometimes it’s about comfort, sometimes speed, and increasingly it’s about feeling good about what you eat,” Kapoor said. Looking ahead, he noted that the opportunity lies in addressing everyday use cases by making delivery faster when needed, more balanced when required, and consistently reliable.
Both platforms highlighted that affordability without compromise is becoming central to adoption, with food delivery increasingly becoming a daily habit among students, office workers, and families.
According to an NCAER-Prosus report, India’s food delivery sector generated ₹1.2 lakh crore in gross output in 2023–24 and has been growing faster than the overall economy. Direct employment in the sector rose to 1.37 million in 2023–24 from 1.08 million in 2021–22, underlining its role as a significant economic driver.