New Year's Eve 2025 saw a massive surge in home celebrations across India, with food delivery platforms becoming the night's silent heroes. As people chose to ring in the new year indoors with friends and family, platforms like Swiggy witnessed an unprecedented flood of orders, painting a vivid picture of the nation's festive preferences through real-time updates shared on social media platform X.
Biryani Unshaken as the Undisputed King
The star of the evening, unsurprisingly, was biryani. By 7:30 pm itself, Swiggy had recorded a staggering 2,18,993 plates of biryani ordered. In a playful post acknowledging its popularity, the platform noted in Hindi that it wasn't even 7:30 yet and the biryani count was already soaring, solidifying its status as the undisputed 'king' of Indian comfort food.
A Diverse Palette of Orders: From Burgers to Halwa
As the clock ticked towards midnight, the ordering trends showcased a wide variety of tastes. By 9:30 pm, over 90,000 burgers had been delivered, highlighting the enduring love for global fast food. In a interesting twist, 4,244 people ordered upma, while Bengaluru showed a health-conscious streak with 1,927 salad orders. Meanwhile, 9,410 people across the country opted for the comforting simplicity of khichdi.
The festive spirit extended to desserts, with gajar ka halwa witnessing 7,573 orders by 9:30 pm, proving that traditional sweets remain an integral part of celebration menus.
Food Gifting and Lavish Instamart Purchases Define Trends
Swiggy highlighted a significant social trend: food gifting. The platform revealed that in 2025, a remarkable 6,67,04,007 people ordered food for someone else, underscoring how delivery apps have become a tool for sharing meals and kindness.
The night also saw some extraordinary high-value orders through Swiggy's quick commerce service, Instamart. Co-founder Phani Kishan A shared notable purchases, including a Bengaluru shopper who ordered two iPhones worth ₹1.8 lakh. In another heartwarming instance, a Mumbai user received gold worth ₹1.45 lakh via an Instamart order placed by a loved one, showcasing how delivery platforms are now used for sending valuable gifts. Nearly one in nine New Year's Eve orders on Instamart were placed for friends and family.
The live updates from Swiggy provided a clear snapshot of a modern Indian celebration: a blend of beloved comfort foods like biryani and khichdi, festive treats like gajar halwa, and the new-age practice of sending thoughtful, even luxurious, gifts through a few taps on a smartphone. The data conclusively shows that celebrating at home has evolved to include virtually every desire, delivered right to the doorstep.
