Delhi-NCR Emerges as Zomato’s Largest Food Delivery Market in 2025

Zomato, India’s leading food delivery platform, released a detailed data report on December 31 outlining food ordering trends observed across the country in 2025. The report, based on data recorded up to December 28, offers insights into regional demand patterns, peak ordering times, festive consumption, and delivery partner incentives.

Delhi-NCR Leads India’s Food Delivery Demand

Delhi-NCR emerged as Zomato’s largest market by order volume in 2025. The region recorded 4.22 crore more orders than Mumbai and 4.23 crore more than Bengaluru, underscoring its dominance in online food delivery. At exactly 8:25 PM, Delhi-NCR logged 18.72 lakh orders, a milestone Zomato described as “India’s national dinner time.” This highlights the region’s strong preference for late-evening online food ordering.

Campuses and Cities Drive Order Volumes

University campuses also contributed significantly to Zomato’s order volumes. IIT Kharagpur topped the list with 2.4 lakh orders, followed by IIT BHU and IIT Bombay. Among transport hubs, Vijayawada Junction stood out with 1.4 lakh orders placed during the year, reflecting strong demand from travellers and transit users.

Festive Peaks and Hungriest Minutes

Festive occasions saw sharp spikes in food orders. On Raksha Bandhan, customers ordered 171 sweets per minute, while Christmas witnessed 98 cakes being ordered every minute. The hungriest moments of the day were closely clustered, with 8:25 PM, 8:24 PM, and 8:22 PM recording the highest order volumes nationwide.

Global Footprint and Delivery Partner Incentives

Internationally, Zomato showed steady traction, particularly in the Middle East. The UAE recorded 2.3 lakh orders in 2025, followed by 1.2 lakh orders in the US and 80,000 in the UK. To manage year-end demand, Zomato offered peak-hour incentives of ₹120–₹150 per order between 6:00 PM and midnight.

Incentive Hike Amid Gig Worker Protests

Ahead of New Year’s Eve, Zomato increased incentives for delivery partners, coinciding with protests by gig workers across India over pay and working conditions. The company clarified that the incentive hike was part of its routine festive strategy and not linked to the protests.

Eternal Share Price Performance

On January 2, 2026, Eternal share price (NSE: ETERNAL) opened at ₹283.80, up from its previous close of ₹283.80. At 12:10 PM, the share price of Eternal was trading at ₹285.45, up by 0.58% on the NSE.

Also Read: Eternal Q2 FY26 Results: Profit Drops 63%, Revenue Surges

Conclusion

Zomato’s 2025 data highlights Delhi-NCR’s leadership in food delivery, strong festive demand, and evolving consumption patterns, while also underlining the platform’s growing global presence and operational focus during peak periods.

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