Bengaluru: Biocon chairperson and billionaire entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has criticised IndiGo Airlines’ premium in-flight cuisine, describing the so-called gourmet offerings as “uninviting and tasteless.” Her comments have sparked a wider debate on social media about the quality of in-flight food served by Indian carriers.

Shaw’s criticism of IndiGo’s premium menu

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mazumdar-Shaw shared her displeasure over the food served to Stretch passengers — IndiGo’s premium business class category.

“This what @IndiGo6E calls gourmet cuisine for the Stretch passengers! I prefer their regular items! Oberoi should introspect on this uninviting and tasteless menu – pls do a customer survey n I bet you there will be a 100%,” she wrote.

The airline’s Stretch menu reportedly included German lentil and feta salad with beetroot galouti, lavash with cream cheese yoghurt dip, thandai tres leches cake, and pink salt and pepper mixed nuts.

Mazumdar-Shaw’s post tagged Oberoi, which curates IndiGo’s in-flight food service, suggesting the hospitality group should conduct customer surveys before branding the meals “gourmet.”

Social media reactions pour in

Her post triggered a flurry of reactions from social media users, many of whom agreed that airline food quality has declined over time.

One user asked Shaw what she would prefer instead, to which she replied:

“My magic upma or noodles or even sandwiches!”

Another commented, “Haha, I feel you! The ‘gourmet’ label often raises expectations, but the reality on board sometimes falls short. Domestic in-flight menus often struggle to compete with lounge meals.”

A user quipped, “Feels like sterilised food served in an ICU,” while another added, “Not appetising at all, just fancy words!”

Others shared similar experiences on IndiGo flights, with one traveller writing, “We got worse! Cold bland salad for dinner with a tasteless gulab jamun cake. The nuts were great though!”

Political voice joins the conversation

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, supporting Shaw’s criticism.

“Absolutely agree! Tasteless, cold and unappetising,” Chaturvedi wrote on X.

The discussion has since turned into a broader conversation about Indian airlines’ catering standards, with several users calling for greater focus on freshness and regional diversity in in-flight meals.

IndiGo yet to respond

As of Saturday evening, IndiGo had not issued an official response to Mazumdar-Shaw’s remarks. The airline, India’s largest by market share, launched its Stretch class earlier this year as part of its strategy to attract premium business travellers with enhanced legroom and curated dining options.

However, this latest controversy underscores the challenge airlines face in balancing culinary experimentation with passenger expectations, especially on short-haul domestic routes.