NRAI highlights Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot as key markets, with new opportunities emerging around GIFT City
Gujarat is emerging as an important growth market for India’s restaurant and food services industry, with activity expanding across Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) highlighted the state’s growing potential ahead of its 5th Food Delivery Summit 2026 in Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad alone is home to more than 20,000 restaurants, while NRAI has more than 500 members across Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara. The growing restaurant ecosystem is being supported by strong entrepreneurship, changing consumer preferences and the expansion of home-grown food brands beyond Gujarat.
The upcoming NRAI Food Delivery Summit, scheduled for August 20 in Ahmedabad, is expected to bring together more than 5,000 restaurant owners, 70+ industry leaders and 1,500+ brands from more than 30 cities. The event will focus on the role of technology, artificial intelligence and automation in improving restaurant operations and supporting future growth.
GIFT City is also creating new opportunities for the food and hospitality sector. Its expanding business ecosystem is expected to generate additional demand for restaurants, food delivery services and related hospitality businesses, adding another growth dimension to Gujarat’s food services market.
NRAI has identified Gujarat’s entrepreneurial culture and Ahmedabad’s evolving food scene as important factors behind the state’s growing prominence. Restaurants and food brands are increasingly experimenting with new formats and responding to changing consumer expectations, creating opportunities for both established operators and emerging businesses.
India’s food services industry is also entering a technology-driven phase, with operators increasingly adopting digital ordering, automation and AI-enabled solutions to improve efficiency and customer experiences. Gujarat’s expanding restaurant ecosystem positions the state to benefit from these developments.
The growing activity across Gujarat highlights the state’s potential to become one of India’s important restaurant and food-service markets, while creating new opportunities for restaurant brands, technology providers, investors and food businesses.