'They never cook at home': Nikhil Kamath compares Singapore's street food culture to India's, sparks debate

Nikhil Kamath’s insights ignited a wave of discussion online, with users sharing mixed reactions.

Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, recently sparked a debate on food consumption habits after sharing his observations from a trip to Singapore. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Kamath highlighted how home cooking is virtually non-existent in the city-state, with many residents either not having kitchens or never cooking at home.

Kamath’s post, which has since garnered over 8 lakh views, raised an intriguing question: Could India eventually follow the same trend, especially as economic conditions evolve?

Reflecting on his observations, Kamath speculated that if India were to adopt Singapore’s eating-out culture, the restaurant industry could experience massive growth. However, he pointed out that India lacks large-scale restaurant brands comparable to those in Southeast Asia.

"If India were to follow this trend, investing in or opening restaurants would be a massive opportunity, but we don’t have restaurant brands that have close to the scale Southeast Asian chains do," he wrote.

Kamath also highlighted India’s underdeveloped food service sector, citing statistics that only 30% of India’s food market is organised, compared to 55% in the United States.

Citing data from Swiggy and Bain & Company, Kamath revealed that India consumes significantly fewer non-home-cooked meals compared to other countries.

China: 33 non-home-cooked meals per person (2023)
United States: 27
Singapore: 19
South Korea: 14
India: 5

The data underscores India’s strong attachment to home-cooked meals, a cultural trait that distinguishes it from many developed nations.

I was in Singapore this week; most I met said they never cook at home, and others don't have a kitchen.If India were to follow this trend, investing/opening restaurants would be a massive opportunity, but we don't have restaurant brands that have close to the scale Southeast pic.twitter.com/xctpFUyV57
Nikhil Kamath (@nikhilkamathcio) February 18, 2025

Kamath’s insights ignited a wave of discussion online, with users sharing mixed reactions.

One user argued that home-cooked food is deeply ingrained in Indian culture, stating: "Ghar ka khana (home food) is an integral part of Indian culture, and I don’t think that will change anytime soon."

Ex Google MD Parminder Singh, who has lived in Singapore for 15 years, provided additional context: "You are right, but Singapore’s eating-out culture is largely driven by 121 government-promoted hawker centres. These 6,000 stalls follow strict quality standards and provide affordable meals. The government is so committed to maintaining them that they even run a ‘hawker incubation’ programme."

Some users took a light-hearted approach, with one joking: "If we follow Singapore’s trend, all restaurants in India will just serve ‘masala chai’!"

Others highlighted the resilience of India’s street food culture, stating that eating out will grow, but home cooking will remain a cherished tradition.

"Street food in India will continue to thrive regardless of home cooking habits," one user remarked.

Another added, "The convenience of restaurant dining and food delivery will definitely grow, but home-cooked meals will always be a part of Indian life."