The rise of cloud kitchens in the Indian food industry is creating new possibilities for potential entrepreneurs. This year, 2025, has witnessed a rise in delivery-only restaurants encouraged by the evolving habits of people, technology and updates in the food industry. A cloud kitchen franchise operates differently compared to old-fashioned restaurants. The facility of pick-up only results in reduced overhead costs. 

The cloud kitchen concept in India has transformed the food and beverage sector. With delivery platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, and Dunzo empowering hyperlocal food delivery, demand for virtual restaurants is at an all-time high. However, venturing into the cloud kitchen is not merely about cooking in a leased kitchen facility—it's about knowing what India eats.

To thrive in this competitive industry, entrepreneurs must develop their brands based on what Indians order the most. In 2024, Swiggy's yearbook report showed that Biryani was ordered over 2.5 times a second. Street food, Indo-Chinese, and thali meals, meanwhile, account for daily orders in metros and tier-2 cities.

Foodism Connect has shed light on these 10 very lucrative and trending cloud kitchen niches in India - 

1. Biryani-Only Cloud Kitchens

Biryani is unequivocally the king of online food orders in India. With more than 250 million biryani orders placed on top platforms in 2023, it shouldn't come as a surprise that biryani-only cloud kitchens are thriving.

It is profitable as it has high scalability with regional variations (Hyderabadi, Lucknowi, Kolkata), low per-unit packaging cost and decent shelf life and travel resilience. People also enjoy festival and occasion packs such as Eid Special Biryani Boxes and weekend family combos with specially picked side dishes (gulab jamun, raita, salan).

2. Indian-Chinese Combos

Indo-Chinese is a comfort segment and all-age favourite that cuts across age and, thus, is one of India's best-performing delivery categories. Cloud kitchens offering Hakka noodles, Gobi Manchurian, and Chinese bhel are doing well.

You can also customise meal bowls with rice/noodle + gravy combos and upsell with dimsums or spring rolls.

3. Thali Kitchens

For corporate professionals, students residing in hostels, and more, budget thalis are one of the most convenient cloud kitchen models. A thali cloud kitchen provides handpicked meals along with roti, rice, dal, sabzi, salad, and sweets.

Why does it work? High order frequency (daily consumption), it is great for B2B tie-ups (offices, PGs, hostels), along with a standardised menu with seasonal tweaks

A subscription plan can be introduced with offers on weekly and monthly plans. Provide WhatsApp ordering for convenience.

4. Pizza & Pasta Kitchens

Fast food chains have generated an enormous craving for pizzas and pasta. Cloud kitchens serving wood-fired or artisanal pizzas and rich pastas experience high weekend and party-time footfalls. 

It has a high ticket size (average ₹350-₹600 per order), suitable for brand and loyalty programs and family and group-friendly food

5. Gourmet Desserts & Treats

Dessert cloud kitchens experienced a 40% boost in orders at midnight in 2023. Customers are ordering comfort desserts—molten cakes, cheesecakes, handcrafted mithai, and fusion jars.

For a business startup idea, one can introduce personalised packaging and subscription dessert boxes. Partner with local influencers for festival launches.

6. Healthy Meals & Diet Kitchens

India's fitness wave is spreading into kitchens. Health-conscious consumers seek macro-balanced meals, detox juices, vegan bowls, and portion-controlled tiffins.

Why it works:

• tiered premium pricing (₹250+ per box)
• Niche, loyal customer base
• Pairs well with subscription models

It is important to highlight macronutrient breakdowns, take advice from nutritionists for menu planning, and provide a weekly rotating healthy menu.

7. Burger & Sandwich Kitchens

These fast-turning, low-wastage models are ideal for city lunch and snack orders. With the growth of fusion burgers (e.g., achari paneer burger), the segment is expanding rapidly. This has simple ingredient sourcing with low kitchen staffing requirements. Also, burgers and sandwiches are on-the-go meals for youths and their late-night demand. 

8. Regional Cuisine Kitchens

Cloud kitchens serving regional specialities from a specific area satisfy migrants' nostalgia in metros. Kosha Mangsho, Pesarattu, and Misal Pav are a sure shot. 

Adopting local ingredients with native cooking techniques emphasises cultural narratives in branding. 

9. Street Food Cloud Kitchens

Street food culture is an integral part of India's life. With hygiene being an issue, customers are looking towards trustworthy street food kitchens. From chaats to momos, these snacks are smash hits.

It is profitable as these get heavy order volumes, favourable for combo offers and snack boxes. Many cloud kitchens introduce “chaat platters” or “momo buckets” for groups. Even during festivals, they introduce dishes or platters like sabudana vada, sabudana khichdi 

10. Tiffin & Meal Subscriptions

With students, bachelors, and working couples requiring regular home-style food, tiffin kitchens providing lunch/dinner subscription models are faring well. 

This business can gain stable, recurring revenue with high customer satisfaction, as taste and timing are great. Tier your membership subscriptions with pause/resume flexibility. Add sporadic “Surprise Sunday Specials” to keep them excited.

Statistical reports are showing growth in the cloud kitchen market, the projections reaching USD 2.948 billion by 2032 and possibly even exceeding USD 4.4 billion by 2032. So, whether you are a seasoned chef, a restaurateur or an investor in the food and beverage industry, these 10 niches offer an opportunity-rich blueprint to launch and scale a profitable cloud kitchen business in India.