IIT Guwahati research links digital food habits to class & caste hierarchies
The research urges policymakers to address the socio-economic implications of digitalization in food systems through targeted support, regulation, and cultural inclusion.;

Guwahati, June 30: A research by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has explored how social media and food delivery apps are transforming food culture in urban India.
Conducted by Dr Rituparna Patgiri, Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of IIT Guwahati, the study explored how the digitization of food influences consumer behaviour while simultaneously changing social dynamics such as class, caste, and labour.
The findings of the research have been published in the Sociological Bulletin journal.
The key findings of the research show that digital food practices and cultures have become a habitual part of people’s lives, especially among the urban Indian middle-class youth. Digital technologies such as food ordering applications and online reviews on social media platforms have been gradually integrated into everyday culinary habits.
It also found that food economies are becoming platform-dependent. Platforms providing services such as search, social media, and content aggregation are becoming digital gatekeepers of access to food-related content.
The research also revealed that the impact of digitalization on food has a very specific class and caste character.
“Food has been viewed as a product that moves through five stages – production, distribution, preparation, consumption, and disposal. In this research, I argue that one must now add a sixth stage – digitalization,” Dr Patgiri said.
She asserted that the study’s focus on the under-explored intersection of digital technology and food in Indian sociology sets it apart from previous studies.
“Earlier research works have examined how globalization has impacted food practices in India. However, this study identifies the impact of the digital on food as equally transformative. The research significantly reveals how digital technologies are reshaping food practices in urban India in ways that reinforce existing caste, class, and gender hierarchies. It shows that digital food culture practices such as food blogging, online review, and aesthetic presentation, are largely confined to the upper and middle classes and urban groups, while small businesses and lower socio-economic communities are often excluded. The study highlights the need for inclusive digital policies that support marginalized food producers, regulate platform-driven practices, and promote equitable visibility. It also underscores the importance of using digital platforms for public health messaging and the preservation of diverse culinary traditions,” Dr Patgiri said.
The research urges policymakers to address the socio-economic implications of digitalization in food systems through targeted support, regulation, and cultural inclusion.