India’s top food delivery platforms, Zomato and Swiggy, have launched health-focused ratings to address growing consumer scrutiny over food quality and nutrition.
Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal announced the rollout of an AI-driven “health score” on Monday, saying the platform had made food ordering easier but had not truly helped people eat better. The new rating, he said, will guide users toward genuinely nourishing options.
Swiggy, which last week introduced its “protein drops” rating, is highlighting meals in categories such as high-protein, low-calorie, gluten-free, and no-fry. “It’s the next drop in high protein, with no fry, low cal and gluten-free categories,” wrote Deepak Maloo, Vice President of Food Strategy at Swiggy, in a LinkedIn post.
The move follows criticism on social media that food delivery platforms often enable access to unhealthy, frozen, or low-hygiene meals. “Please make the product palatable,” Bombay Shaving Company founder Shantanu Deshpande remarked in a viral LinkedIn post.
Industry voices, however, see the shift as inevitable. “Healthy dining is no longer a fringe trend, it’s a mainstream movement,” said Zorawar Kalra, founder of Farzi Café and Masala Library, adding that menus are increasingly featuring lighter, plant-based dishes.
The Bain & Company–Swiggy report estimates India’s food delivery market could exceed ₹2 lakh crore by 2030, growing at an 18% CAGR, driven by rising disposable incomes and consumer experimentation.