48 per cent of Indians prefer 'Bahar ka Khana': Uber Eats report

Food delivery network Uber Eats in association with market research company Ipsos has released a research report titled ' Food Moods of India'. The research was done through online surveys and interviews in 13 cities across India, with 4000 NCCS AB Indian consumers aged 15 to 50 years.

According to the report, 48 per cent of Indians prefer ordering 'Bahar Ka Khana', with convenience and breaking monotonous routines being the biggest driving factors.

76 per cent of the respondents said that they get food delivered home, while 13 per cent said that they order food at work or college. 10 per cent of the respondents said they order food to catch up with friends and five per cent of those surveyed said they ordered food when they stayed over at a friend's home.

Giving insights on consumer behaviour in the food and beverages sector, the research sheds light on triggers of choice, consumption moments, cuisine perceptions and forward-looking trends among Indian consumers. Assessing the Food and Beverage sector in the Indian market, the research focuses on the interconnected and interdependent food ecosystem. The report also puts a spotlight on how delivery is big, equaling dine-out and take-away put together.

The report also suggests that 82 per cent of consumers stick to a maximum of five restaurants in their repertoire, implying that the restaurant experimentation within consumers is limited. Amongst women who order in, 38 per cent of home delivery food orders are made to 'cheer them up'.

According to the report, 28 per cent of the respondents ordered food in because of the sheer convenience it provides, while 28 per cent of respondents said they opt to order food because they want to break the monotony of daily routine. Those in relationships said that ordering food is a good way to spend time together. The report suggests that in about 36 per cent of occasions when couples order food, the food is ordered from homes.

Commenting on the launch of the report, Bansi Kotecha, head of operations, India and SA, Uber Eats, said in a press release, “We're really excited about launching the food report ‘Food Moods of India’. With people eating non-home cooked food at least once a week, consumers are increasingly outsourcing their food decisions to technology-enabled life managers like us. With findings suggesting that consumers make choices based on their taste profile and different occasions, this report furthers our resolve to continue sharing data and insights to help partners innovate and promote efficiency in their operations, as well as provide customers more options to suit their food preferences.”

Sharing her learnings through the research, Sreyoshi Maitra, executive director, Ipsos says, “We are witnessing fast changes in lifestyle followed by changes in daily routines. Consumers are extremely pressed for time and this further triggers a growing need for easily accessible cooked food that is affordable. Thus consumers have quickly embraced home delivery or take out services to save the time and energy that would otherwise go into tossing up a home-cooked meal.”

Here is the full report.

Food Moods of India (3).pdf