eNews
ManoramaOnline’s campaign celebrates the homecoming of every Malayali’s superhero
Mumbai: Onam celebrates the homecoming of every Malayali’s superhero, the benevolent king Mahabali. When it comes to good times, Malayalis consider the times of the legendary Mahabali to be the gold standard. Malayalis relive those times of prosperity, equality and abundance by celebrating Ona with fervour. It’s the time when family budgets have extra provisions, homes are refreshed and long pending shopping wish lists are fulfilled. Thus, Onam truly is the beginning of the great Indian shopping season.
The South Swag
Onam was always the biggest shopping season in Kerala. But this year, the South Indian festival is all set to be one of the biggest shopping seasons in the country as well.
South as a region was always seen as smaller or less flamboyant, with a far less appetite than north. Bigger cities, big business houses, big celebrations are all usually attributed to North India. But that position is observed to be shifting now. It was the evolution of the startup economy that began this change, with cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram riding the tech wave.
Now, South India holds lead positions when it comes to new economy parameters like internet penetration, data usage etc. According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), Kerala comes a close second in terms of internet density in the country with 87 subscribers per 100 population.
In recent months this emergence has been amplified by the awakening of another south Indian giant – the movie industry. Back-to-back hits like “Bahubali”, “KGF”, “RRR” and “Vikram” are breaking collection records and are even becoming huge grossers in Hindi speaking states. This emergence of the South is a perfect prelude to the most awaited festival in Kerala, Onam.
An indicator of this trend could be found in the fact that Kerala’s favourite Malayalam news portal Manoramaonline bagged gold at the WAN IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards for the best news website for the third year in a row. The Onam Campaign from Manoramaonline – ‘Kerala’s Biggest Superstar coming soon’ proudly points out this trend to the fraternity, thereby inviting it to become a part of this big festive season by ensuring that its brand is present on Manoramaonline.
eNews
Swiggy sees record orders during India vs New Zealand T20 final
Chicken biryani tops match-day menu as fans order 7,500 times per minute at peak.
MUMBAI: India’s T20 final didn’t just break stumps, it broke Swiggy’s delivery records, proving cricket fans celebrate victories with plates, not just flags. Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, reported a sharp spike in food orders during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. On 8 March 2026, overall orders rose 23.2 per cent year-on-year compared with the same date in 2025, driven by fans turning living rooms into mini stadiums complete with match-day feasts.
Key highlights from the evening:
- Orders during peak match hours (7–10 pm) were 2.1 times higher than pre-match levels.
- The highest order rate hit 7,500 orders per minute at 19:45.
- Chicken biryani reigned supreme as the most-ordered dish, followed by masala dosa, chicken fried rice, garlic breadsticks and paneer butter masala.
While metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad led volumes, the cricketing fever spread nationwide. Among emerging cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Surat and Rajkot recorded the strongest order growth. Smaller markets including Shillong, Agartala and Port Blair also showed significant appetite, underlining the expanding footprint of quick-commerce food delivery across India.
The surge reflects a growing trend of pairing major sporting events with doorstep delivery, turning big matches into shared, convenient celebrations. In a night where every boundary mattered, Swiggy proved the real MVP might just be the delivery partner who kept the snacks and the vibes flowing without missing a single wicket.
