India’s food delivery growth in 2026 to hinge on speed, value and customer experience

India’s food delivery market is expected to see growth in 2026 driven by customer experience, speed and value consciousness, according to food delivery aggregators magicpin and Swiggy.

Anshoo Sharma, Founder and CEO of magicpin, said growth will come from deeper merchant inclusion and catering to value-conscious users. magicpin is currently India’s third-largest food delivery platform.

“We are scaling by onboarding a wide range of merchants, from single, standalone local restaurants to large brands and national chains, enabling them to participate competitively in the digital economy,” Sharma told PTI.

He added that lowering entry barriers and improving unit economics for merchants would help create a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem. “By lowering entry barriers and improving unit economics for merchants, platforms like ours can help build a more balanced and sustainable food delivery ecosystem in 2026 and beyond,” he said.

Swiggy’s CEO of Food Marketplace, Rohit Kapoor, said the food delivery segment has evolved over the years to meet changing consumer needs.

“Meals today have to fit into tighter schedules, longer days and changing priorities. Sometimes it’s about comfort, sometimes about speed, and increasingly, it’s about feeling good about what you eat,” Kapoor said.

Looking ahead to 2026, Kapoor said the opportunity lies in responding to everyday decisions and emerging use cases by making food delivery faster when required, more balanced when needed, and consistently reliable.

“The challenge will be to scale these experiences thoughtfully, while keeping food accessible and ensuring great customer experience for millions of people who now depend on it as part of daily life,” he said.

Sharma said the next phase of growth in India’s food delivery market will be driven largely by value-conscious consumers.

“At magicpin, we are seeing food delivery become a daily habit across students, office-goers and families who are looking for affordability without compromise,” he said.

He added that the company is focused on expanding this segment by making everyday meals more accessible, including late-night campus orders, office lunches and celebration-driven dining, while ensuring meaningful savings on every order.

India’s food delivery platform sector generated Rs 1.2 lakh crore in gross output in 2023-24 and has been growing at a rate faster than the overall economy, according to an NCAER-Prosus report.

The report, released earlier this month, said direct employment in the sector increased to 1.37 million in 2023-24 from 1.08 million workers in 2021-22.