2 weeks ago
India's out-of-home F&B volumes drop 8.6% in FY26: Worldpanel
A research company called Worldpanel by Numerator studied how much food and drink people in India buy when they are away from home, like at restaurants or shops.
They found that last year, people bought 8.6% less food and drink outside their homes.
Even though people bought less, they spent almost the same amount of money, which means things cost more.
The main reason was a shortage of cooking gas, called LPG, that happened after a war started between the US and Iran.
The government made sure homes got the limited gas first, so restaurants and kitchens had less.
Small and mid-sized cities called mini-metros were affected the most because they had severe gas shortages, even for households.
People still went out and made shopping trips, but they bought smaller packs and fewer items.
The report is based on information from more than 11,000 households in India.
So in simple words, families cut back on eating out and buying snacks because cooking gas was scarce and prices went up.
India's food and beverage out-of-home consumption volume fell 8.6% in the 12 months ended March 2026, per Worldpanel by Numerator.
The value of out-of-home consumption rose 0.5% in the same period, with consumers spending the same money but buying less.
The number of shopping trips increased while packs purchased and pack size fell.
Mini-metros, cities with populations between 1 and 4 million, were the worst hit with sales volumes down 10%.
Worldpanel MD K. Ramakrishnan attributed the decline to the LPG crisis following the US-Iran war that broke out in late February.
- Who
- Worldpanel by Numerator, led in South Asia by managing director K. Ramakrishnan, surveyed over 11,000 Indian households.
- What
- Out-of-home food and beverage consumption volume in India fell 8.6% while its value rose 0.5%.
- Where
- India, with mini-metros (population 1-4 million) the worst affected.
- When
- In the 12 months ended March 2026 (fiscal year 2026).
- Why
- The LPG crisis triggered by the US-Iran war in late February reduced gas supply, especially in mini-metros, and hit discretionary out-of-home buying.
Key facts
- Report Source
- Worldpanel by Numerator
- Period Covered
- 12 months ended March 2026 (FY26)
- Volume Change
- -8.6%
- Value Change
- +0.5%
- Panel Size
- Over 11,000 households
- Worst-Hit Segment
- Mini-metros, with sales volumes down 10%
- LPG Imports
- Roughly 60% of India's LPG is imported, about 90% via the Strait of Hormuz
- Domestic LPG Users
- Over 300 million
Quotes
K. Ramakrishnan
Managing director, South Asia, Worldpanel by Numerator
“"When there's a little bit of tightness, one way is to reduce the consumption inside the home, which they have not, it's not so easy to do. But you can reduce the number of times you go out."”
livemint.com
“"They are spending the same kind of money, but they're buying less for that."”
livemint.com
Sources
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