India’s fast-changing urban culture is beginning to reshape how cities eat, socialize and spend after dark. According to entrepreneur Anshul Jhawar, the transformation already underway in Hyderabad could offer a preview of what lies ahead for many Indian cities.
In a recent LinkedIn post, Jhawar — co-founder and Chief Business Officer of hospitality technology platform ZillOut — said the city’s nightlife ecosystem has undergone a dramatic shift in just five years.
“Five years ago, Hyderabad had maybe 10 decent places to go out, and you’d pretty much see the same people everywhere because there were not many options,” he wrote. “But that version of the city is gone.”
From limited nightlife to hundreds of venues
According to Jhawar, Hyderabad now boasts more than 200 nightclubs across the city, reflecting a surge in demand for social and entertainment spaces. The hospitality sector is also seeing stronger financial performance, with hotel RevPAR (revenue per available room) rising by more than 20%, signaling a broader revival in urban leisure spending.
The city’s evolving tastes are also evident in its food and beverage landscape. Concepts inspired by Turkish and Lebanese cuisines — once considered niche in many Indian cities — are finding a growing customer base, while newer nightlife formats that might have struggled in the past are now able to sustain and expand.
The change, Jhawar suggests, highlights how rapidly consumer behavior is evolving as India’s urban middle class expands and younger populations seek more diverse social experiences.
Growth without systems
Despite the boom, the entrepreneur believes the city’s nightlife ecosystem still faces structural gaps.
While demand and venue openings have grown rapidly, the underlying systems that help businesses understand their customers and maintain long-term engagement have not kept pace.
Jhawar said conversations with venue owners reveal a familiar pattern: crowded openings followed by quieter weeks a few months later.
“I’ve spoken to venue owners on slow Monday nights, the same places that were packed on opening weekend, now wondering what changed by month three,” he wrote.
According to him, one major challenge is the lack of data systems that track customer behaviour — such as who visited, what they enjoyed, and what could bring them back. Without that institutional memory, venues struggle to convert early hype into consistent footfall.
Hyderabad as a ‘preview’ for other cities
Jhawar argues that the trends seen in Hyderabad could soon play out in other major Indian urban centers.
“Hyderabad is a preview,” he wrote, adding that most Indian cities are moving along the same curve of rising demand for nightlife and hospitality experiences.
The key question for businesses, he suggested, is whether the infrastructure and operational systems will evolve fast enough to support that growth.
