Swiggy is taking on Zomato’s live events feature

Swiggy and Zomato, India’s biggest food delivery giants, have been locked in fierce competition for years. But as food delivery and quick commerce edge closer to market saturation, both platforms are looking for new ways to keep users hooked—and they’ve found their next battleground: live events and experiences.

Recently, Swiggy launched Scenes, a feature that lets users book tickets for live events directly within the Swiggy app. Currently available in Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai, Scenes focuses on restaurant-hosted events like DJ nights, live music performances, and brunches, promising customers a seamless way to discover and reserve experiences at partner venues.

The timing of Scenes’ launch is far from coincidental. Weeks earlier, Zomato unveiled District, a standalone app that offers a broader ticketing service, including movies, comedy shows, and large-scale events. Zomato’s move came on the heels of its ₹2,048 crore (~$241 million) acquisition of Paytm Insider, a platform that lets users find and buy tickets, in August 2024.

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After 9 years of doing business, Swiggy’s marquee food delivery business has finally achieved profitability. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup which counts Prosus Ventures, SoftBank and Invesco among its backers became profitable in March this year, CEO and Co-founder Sriharsha Majety said in a blog post, eclipsing its publicly-listed rival Zomato on

TechloyEmmanuel Oyedeji

For Swiggy, integrating Scenes into its existing app could play to its strength as a super app, capitalizing on its 17.1 million monthly transacting users. In contrast, Zomato’s standalone approach with District could offer room for scaling across a wider range of event categories.

Meanwhile, this strategic shift by both companies comes as the live entertainment market in India booms. Per data from YES Securities, the sector is projected to hit ₹143 billion (~$1.69 billion) by 2026, with concerts alone generating ₹350–400 crore ($41.23–47.12 million) in revenue last year.

As Indian consumers increasingly spend on experiences over goods, Swiggy and Zomato are betting big on events to drive engagement and diversify their offerings.

But the move isn’t without its challenges. Live events rely heavily on discretionary spending, which can dip during economic uncertainty and logistical hurdles like permits and venue coordination add further complexities.

Whether Scenes or District emerges as the go-to platform remains to be seen, but the message is clear: the battle for India’s next big consumer habit is shifting beyond food delivery. And as the live events market heats up, the rivalry between Swiggy and Zomato is only just getting started.