From serving nearly 6 million of Biryani during Ramzan this year by food delivery platform Swiggy, to being one of the top dish ordered, to humorous calculations that added a playful touch to Zomato's narrative, suggesting that the biryani orders could fill eight Qutub Minars in Delhi. This beautiful rice dish has captured the hearts of millions in India.

The sudden rise of biryani as a popular dish can be attributed to its rich, aromatic flavors, and its versatility in catering to various palates. The dish's ability to combine a wide range of ingredients and spices makes it a beloved choice for many. Additionally, it is associated with celebrations and special occasions, further driving its popularity.

Factor’s Driving the Success of the ‘Humble’ Dish

There has been a noticeable change in dining trends towards diversification in cuisine offerings, an increase in easy to dine and deliver options, and a growing emphasis on sustainability and locally sourced ingredients.

“I guess that’s because the convenience of online food delivery services. Also, the increasing demand for comfort food that is both flavorful and fulfilling & a complete meal with both protein and carbohydrates is driving such change,” shared Dhanush Srinivas, Director of operations at Nandhini Deluxe that has its focus on authentic Andhra cuisine including biryani. Over the years, the brand has seen a positive response. “The brand's dedication to quality and authenticity, combined with continuous innovation, where we have used different vegetables for the veg biryani, has helped it gain a loyal customer base. The expansion across Bengaluru and Mysore indicates a strong market acceptance and demand for their offerings,” he added.

Sharing a same belief, Shweta Ravi, Director at Nandhana Palace commented, “Aggregators have a huge role to play as offers tempt customers to buy the product and the taste get the customer addicted to the product which in turn result in higher sales.”

Not just this, according to Raymond Andrews of Biryani Blues who left his investment banking job to start a biryani chain almost a decade back believed that there are several factors contributing to the growth of Biryani. “ Biryani is consistently the most ordered dish on platforms like Swiggy and Zomato that’s growing its popularity on these platforms, consistent quality, mass premium where brands are offering a sense of indulgence at a relatively affordable price, making it a popular choice among target audience which is mostly students & young professionals and most obvious the variety,” he added.

Top Ordered Variety in ‘Biryani’

Biryani has firmly established itself as the most-ordered dish on Swiggy, amassing an impressive 7.6 crore orders in the last 12 months. The popularity of this aromatic and flavorful dish continues to grow, with a notable 8.26% increase in biryani orders during the first five and a half months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Not just this, the widespread love for biryani is evident, with over 2.6 lakh restaurants across the country offering this beloved dish through aggregator platforms. 

“Oddly, the most ordered dish is a Chicken Tikka flavored Kepsa Biryani. This shows the effort taken to differentiate ourselves from the competition,” shared Mohammed of House of Biryan that has an average order value of close to INR 800. Though, the ticket size vary from 500 INR to 15 K as well.

For Biryani Blues that has expanded to 65 plus outlets, their chicken dum biryani is the most ordered dish with average order value of about Rs 540. And, the supreme biryani at Nandhana that has become one of the fastest growing biryani brand is some of the customer’s favourite. 

High on Expansion

From brands like House of Biryan, Biryani by Kilo amongst others attracting investors to invest in their concepts to brands like Biryani Blues that has hired top notch Domino’s and QSR executives to run and focus on the delivery business. The space has seen lots of money being put in to grow and expand the business. House of Biryan that earlier this month raised $2 MN from AI Siraj Holdings to expand and grow the business wants to use the funds raised to grow via new kitchens followed by brand marketing.

“We have very ambitious yet strategic expansion plans for the next 1 year. We recently launched three new stores in Delhi. Over the next 18 months, we aim to open 40 new locations, focusing on key markets such as Pune and Delhi. This growth initiative is driven by our commitment to bringing unique, high-quality Biryani to more customers across India,” Mohammed further pointed by adding that as they look ahead in 2025, they aim to expand to 45 stores, targeting revenues exceeding Rs 100 crore. 

Commenting on the same, Andrews, mentioned, “We are currently at 65 outlets and plan to deepen our presence around North India with15 more outlets in this FY 2025.” He also added that the brand also target corporate clients like Airtel, Accenture, Nestle etc for bulk orders and catering services, making us a popular choice for office lunches and events.

On the other hand, Nandhini Deluxe that currently operates 14 outlets and plans to expand by opening four additional locations in the next two years. On the other hand, Nandhana has opened 11 restaurants last financial year and would continue to do the same this year.