India loves to order-in, North Indian food and biryani rule the roost

More Indian food lovers are preferring to order-in food in the comfort of their homes, rather than eating out, says a new report by a food delivery platform.

India has a dynamic food culture with 48 per cent Indians preferring to order in, surpassing the 34 per cent that prefer dining out today, Bansi Kotecha - Head of Operations, UberEats, India and SA said.

"Of all meals that are consumed with spouses or partners, 36 per cent are order-ins at home, making this the new form of date nights. 19 per cent of consumers prefer to spend some me-time with themselves over comfort food. About half of the respondents say ordering food is more economical than hiring a cook which often tends to be both, expensive and tedious," Kotecha said, explaining the research report 'Food Moods of India'.

The report reveals that the top reasons why people order-in include convenience (28 per cent), to break the monotony (28 per cent), celebrate a special occasion (16 per cent), or to catch up with friends, family and colleagues (10 per cent).

North Indian food and biryani rule the roost among adults, while desi Chinese and pizza are children's favourites. Three out of four Indians order food to their homes, as compared to a minority that order to offices and other places.

Out of home food is more a function of convenience than a means of celebration. Easy to eat, all-in-one meal bowls see favour amongst almost one-third of consumers. Almost half still like to order a-la-carte dishes.

The report also says that Indians love to stick to the familiar. Despite consuming out of home food often, restaurant experimentation is limited. "82 per cent consumers stick to a maximum of 5 restaurants in their repertoire".

"Nuclear families are definitely a reason for consumers especially working professionals to seek convenience through ready cooked meals," the UberEats spokesperson said.

The report sought to understand the non-home food landscape and focussed on triggers of choice, consumption moments, cuisine perceptions and forward-looking trends.