6 Trending Topics of Food Research in India 2025
Food research in India is rapidly evolving as consumers seek healthier, sustainable, and convenient choices. This article puts light on various aspects of food, food-tech and related industry. Whether you are a food-tech business owner planning on your start-up research, a researcher on the journey of food academic research. These food research topics show how survey-based studies can reveal consumer behaviour, nutrition preferences, and market opportunities across urban and rural India.
1. Millet-based foods awareness and consumption behaviour in India
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets, and India, being one of the largest millet producers, took the lead in promoting millet-based diets. This announcement boosted consumer awareness and positioned millets as a healthier, sustainable food option. It also opened new opportunities for food research on millet consumption behaviour among Indian households.
Example Survey Questions:
- How frequently do you consume millets and millet-based food items?
- Are you willing to switch from traditional wheat and rice diets towards millet-based meals?
ThinkSurvey Tip: Use pictorial questions to test recognition of common millets (ragi, bajra, jowar, foxtail, etc.) and assess awareness of millet-based products like snacks, rotis, and breakfast cereals. A recent survey with 400+ Indian participants compared wheat vs. rice vs. millet consumption patterns, revealing strong urban interest in millet-based packaged foods.
2. Street Food in India
India is home to the largest number of street food vendors in any country. Street food research is significant because of its role in urban food habits, affordability, and cultural diversity. While it provides easy access to meals, concerns about hygiene and nutrition persist — making this a fertile area for public health and consumer behaviour research in food studies.
Example Survey Questions:
- How frequently do you consume street food?
- How satisfied are you with the overall experience of available street food?
Research Tip: Conduct a large-scale national surveying more than 10,000 participants across India. Map their current locations vis-à-vis available street food items, and assess street food safety, trustworthiness of vendors, quality of meals, and nutritional value of popular items. Such research can guide policymakers to balance affordability with public health.
3. Evaluating alternatives to dairy products
As more Indian consumers are moving towards vegan food habits, the food research on alternate dairy products (soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk) are gaining popularity. This shift is driven by lifestyle choices, lactose intolerance, and increased health awareness.
Example Survey Questions:
- How many dairy alternatives are you aware of or have tried?
- What motivates you to choose these alternative products?
ThinkSurvey Tip: Read these 5 must-haves before launching your food-tech startup. Study the consumer’s buying pattern of milk & milk-based products like – from supermarket, local vendor, milk delivery app etc. This topic can also be a foundation in the area of dairy research as well.
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4. Restaurant dining experience
Example Survey Questions:
- How aware are you about current environmental issues?
- Are you willing to use public transport to avoid spreading air pollution?
ThinkSurvey Tip: Restaurant owners or food researchers can combine customer satisfaction surveys with employee satisfaction studies for restaurants. A 360-degree approach gives insights into both customer expectations and staff motivation, leading to improved dining experiences.
5. Alternatives to meat-based foods
Growing concerns around health, environment, and animal welfare are making Indian consumers curious about plant-based protein and lab-grown meat research. With urban populations becoming more conscious of fitness and sustainability, this area of food research is rapidly gaining traction.
Example Survey Questions:
- Have you tried any meat alternatives such as soy nuggets, mock meat, or lab-grown protein?
- Would you be willing to replace chicken or mutton with plant-based substitutes for health or environmental reasons?
Live Example: This researcher from JGBS collaborated with ThinkSurvey for an effective survey data collection through a time-lapsed study on food research. His area of study was plant-based meat. The researcher compared adoption trends across age groups and cities. Studied perceptions like “taste doesn’t match real meat” or “too expensive.” Researchers can also explore willingness to pay for environmentally sustainable food products versus traditional meat.
6. Viability of health supplements
The Indian market for health supplements, from protein powders to vitamins and nutraceuticals – is expanding fast, especially post-COVID. This raises important questions for food and nutrition research in India: Are supplements replacing natural diets, or merely complementing them? Researchers can assess key variables of study the factors influencing purchase decisions, such as – cost, flavour, colour, taste, packaging, advertising and promotions, health benefits, etc.
Example Survey Questions:
- Do you consume health supplements regularly? If yes, which categories (proteins, multivitamins, ayurvedic/herbal supplements)?
- What is your primary motivation – fitness, immunity, or doctor’s prescription?
Research Tip: Explore urban vs. rural adoption, online vs. offline purchase preferences, and concerns about product authenticity. Researchers can also study how health literacy impacts supplement consumption patterns, especially among youth, athletes, and working professionals.
How to start: A Quick Guide for Food Researchers
“I have the idea, but don’t know where to start.”
“I have the questionnaire ready, but stuck at data collection stage.”
We have heard this more often than you would think. If you have ever felt stuck – you are not alone.
Define your target audience, be precise what you want to ask in the questionnaire. For data collection – best would be to go all over the country and cover all the industries of targeting working professionals. With an equal distribution of gender, age groups, income, etc. You can use multiple options like email list for bulk email sending, recruiting on social media or even utilize online survey platforms.
