India rang in 2026 with an unmistakable marker of celebration: food, ordered in record volumes across cities big and small. Data released by Swiggy shows that New Year’s Eve turned into one of the busiest food ordering days of the year, with demand peaking well before midnight as households, parties and large groups planned ahead.
Biryani once again dominated the national menu. Orders surged sharply through the evening, crossing 2.18 lakh portions before 7.30 pm alone. At its peak, just before 8 pm, Swiggy logged an astonishing 1,336 biryani orders every minute, reinforcing the dish’s status as India’s most preferred party staple. The scale of celebration was evident in outlier orders too, including a single 16 kg biryani order placed by a customer in Bhubaneswar.
Pizzas and burgers followed closely, reflecting urban comfort food preferences. By 8.30 pm, more than 2.18 lakh pizzas and over 2.16 lakh burgers had been delivered nationwide. Bengaluru featured prominently, with one user placing an order for 100 burgers in a single transaction. Goa and Gurugram also saw unusually large orders, ranging from dozens of kebabs and tikkas to bulk dessert boxes.
Emerging cities played a significant role in the evening’s momentum. Places such as Patna, Surat, Vadodara, Jaipur, Nagpur, Pune and Indore recorded an early spike in orders, particularly for cakes, pizzas and biryani, indicating that celebrations were no longer limited to late night metro crowds.
As the night progressed, traditional Indian desserts took centre stage. Rasmalai, gajar halwa and gulab jamun ranked among the most ordered sweets after 10.30 pm, while pizza emerged as the most popular choice to usher in the new year.
Dining out remained equally strong. Bengaluru and Hyderabad led restaurant bookings on Swiggy Dineout, while cities like Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Jaipur posted sharp growth. Group celebrations were notable in Vadodara and Chandigarh, and Mumbai saw individual dining bills climb as high as ₹94,251.
Together, the numbers painted a clear picture of how India welcomed 2026: by feasting early, ordering big and celebrating everywhere.
