Delhi Orders Big, IIT Kharagpur Tops Campus Charts: Zomato's 2025 Food Story

Delhi never stopped eating and Zomato’s 2025 numbers prove it.

According to data shared by the food delivery platform till Dec. 28, the National Capital Region placed 4.22 crore orders, outpacing Mumbai.

The report also revealed India’s hungriest hour is 8:25 p.m., when 18.72 lakh orders were placed nationwide. Zomato dubbed it “India’s national dinner time", in its year-ender report.

Students kept the momentum going, with IIT Kharagpur leading the university charts at 2.4 lakh orders, highlighting how late-night cravings and campus life remain inseparable.

Interestingly, the love for Indian food crossed borders. The United Arab Emirates accounted for 2.3 lakh orders, showing that distance doesn’t dilute cravings.

From bustling metros to student hostels and even overseas kitchens, Zomato’s year-end snapshot celebrates the hustle that keeps India running and eating. And the platform went on to sum it up saying, “Proud to fuel what keeps India running.”

With the New Year rush around the corner, Zomato has one last tip for its users: order early. This also comes in the backdrop of delivery worker unions called for strikes on Dec. 31 demanding fixed wages, better working conditions, and social security among a host of other things.

E-commerce and food delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato have hiked the delivery incentives for workers amid nation-wide gig workers' strike and year-end rush, NDTV reported.

In line with this, Zomato has offered delivery partners incentives between Rs 120 and 150 per order during peak hours from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., reports cited people familiar in the know as saying. Earnings of up Rs 3,000 over the course of the day, subject to order volumes and availability have also been offered by the platform.

Additionally, Zomato has waived off penalties on order denials and cancellations temporarily to shrink the risks of income loss during periods of uneven order flow and heightened demand.