Must-Have Mobile Apps for Foreigners Visiting India: Transport, Food & Grocery

Traveling to India? These Apps Will Make Your Trip Smoother.

Must-Have Mobile Apps for Foreigners Visiting India: Transport, Food, and Grocery Essentials

Navigating the country as a foreign visitor can be a bit overwhelming—especially when it comes to finding transport, food, or even basic groceries. Thankfully, a variety of mobile apps have made travel in India far more manageable and enjoyable.

India’s massive mobile subscriber base, exceeding 1.2 billion users with over 900 million broadband internet connections as of May 2025, has been a pivotal factor in the widespread adoption and success of mobile app-based services. This extensive digital penetration has created a fertile ground for companies to offer convenient, on-demand solutions for everything from transport to food and groceries, revolutionizing daily life and making services readily accessible to a vast population. The service quality and standards are just at par the best. The order delivery is as fast as 8 min for some of the grocery delivery apps.

In this guide, we’ll explore the most useful mobile apps that every traveler should download when visiting India, with a focus on transport, food and grocery delivery.

🚕 Transport Apps in India

Getting around India can be chaotic without the right tools. Here we recommend 3 App based services namely, Uber, Ola & Rapido. These apps ensure convenience, safety, and fair pricing whether you’re commuting in a city or traveling across states.

1. Uber

Best For: City cab rides, intercity travel, airport transfers
Why It’s Useful: Uber operates in most major Indian cities and is a reliable choice for foreign travelers. English interface, fare estimates, in-app payment, and map tracking make it ideal for non-Hindi speakers. They offer transparent pricing, which is a huge relief from negotiating fares with local auto or taxi drivers.
Pro Tip: Use the “Uber Auto” option for cheaper auto rickshaw rides.

2. Ola

Best For: Cabs, auto-rickshaws, and bike taxis
Why It’s Useful: A homegrown alternative to Uber, Ola offers multiple vehicle options. Some cities even offer rentals for a fixed number of hours with drivers. Ola tends to have better availability in smaller cities and towns.
Tip: International cards may not work in-app—carry some cash if needed.

3. Rapido

Best For: Quick and cheap bike taxi rides
Why It’s Useful: Newest addition to the taxi services. Ideal for solo travelers, Rapido is faster and more affordable for short distances in crowded cities.
Tip: May not work in smaller towns.

4. IRCTC Rail Connect

Best For: Book train tickets across India.
Why It’s Useful: Train journeys are iconic in India, and this is the official Indian Railways app. You can check seat availability, book tickets, and get live train status. For your knowledge, the train services in India are run by government only.
Tip: Create your account in advance and verify your passport during registration.

5. RedBus

If intercity bus travel is on your agenda, RedBus is the leading platform. India has an extensive network of private and government buses connecting thousands of destinations.

Easy interface to filter buses by timing, operator, seat preference, and boarding point. It also includes operator reviews, e-tickets, and real-time tracking, making it a reliable option for reaching even offbeat locations. Foreign cards are typically accepted for payment.

6. MakeMyTrip/Cleartrip

These are comprehensive travel booking platforms that allow you to book flights, hotels, trains, and buses. While you might use international apps for flights, these Indian platforms often have competitive domestic deals.

🍱 Food Delivery Apps

From street food delights to fine dining, India’s culinary scene is diverse. These two apps are the best to bring your meal to your doorstep:

1. Zomato

Best For: Variety of cuisines, honest reviews, and quick delivery
Why It’s Useful: Zomato combines food delivery with a robust review system, so you can check restaurant hygiene, photos, and user ratings before ordering.
Extras: Read menus, get coupons, and even find dine-in deals, reserve a table in advance.

2. Swiggy

Best For: Local restaurants, cloud kitchens, and even snacks
Why It’s Useful: Swiggy is India’s leading food delivery platform with a huge restaurant base. It offers live tracking, scheduled orders, and cashless payment.
Cool Feature: “Swiggy Genie” lets you send items or documents from one place to another within the city.

Pros for Foreigners: Extensive restaurant selection, detailed menus with images, user ratings and reviews to help you choose, live order tracking, and various payment options including cash on delivery (COD) and online payments (credit/debit cards, UPI). Swiggy has recently rolled out an “International Logins” feature allowing foreigners to order using international numbers from several countries, and both generally accept international cards. If online payment is an issue, COD is a widely available alternative.

Tips: Do specify your spice preference in the “notes to restaurant” section if you’re sensitive to spicy food (e.g., “less spicy” or “no chili”). Both apps frequently offer discounts and deals.

🛒 Grocery Delivery Apps

Whether you’re staying in a hotel or a short-term rental, having easy access to groceries and essentials can be a game changer. In cities they are quickly becoming a necessity of every household.

1. Blinkit

Best For: Super-fast delivery of groceries and household items
Why It’s Useful: Blinkit promises delivery in 10 minutes in many cities. You can find everything from fresh produce to packaged goods, personal care, and home supplies.
Language: English interface available.

2. Zepto

Best For: Same as Blinkit, a 10-minute deliveries of daily essentials
Why It’s Useful: Operates in most metro cities. Clean, fast interface and reliable delivery windows make it a favorite among expats and travelers alike.
Good To Know: Works well for last-minute needs like snacks, toiletries, or medicine.

3. Swiggy Instamart

An extension of the Swiggy food delivery app, Swiggy Instamart also offers rapid grocery delivery, usually within 10-60 minutes. Convenience of using an app you might already have for food delivery, quick service for essentials.

📍 Other Useful Apps

Google Maps

Essential for navigating roads, metros, and walking routes. Offers real-time traffic updates and even public transit info in major cities.

Paytm / PhonePe / Google Pay (GPay)

UPI is India’s unified payment system—extremely popular and widely accepted. You can use it virtually for all online payments as well as at the local stores or even the street vendors.

🧳 Tips for Using Indian Apps as a Foreigner

✅ Use Indian SIM cards – Most services require OTP verification. Buy a local SIM (like Airtel or Jio) at the airport.

✅ Enable GPS – Real-time location helps with cabs and deliveries.

✅ Carry small cash as backup – Some drivers and delivery agents may prefer cash, even if digital payments are accepted.

✅ Check app availability – Some services are limited to certain cities.

✈️ Final Thoughts

India’s tech ecosystem has made it easier than ever for travelers to explore, eat, and settle in—no matter how short or long their stay. With the right set of apps in your pocket, you can focus on enjoying your trip rather than worrying about logistics.

So before you land, make sure your phone is packed with these essential Indian apps. Happy travels!

You can also check our article on the travel tips for a first time visitor in India.

Learn Hindi in India

Standard & customizable Hindi courses to suit everyone

Beginners Hindi Lessons

Learn Hindi from scratch. A 3-4 weeks course designed to ensure a solid foundation in the language. No prerequisites. New courses start every month.

Intermediate Hindi Lessons

Enhance your Hindi knowledge to the next level. A tailor-made 3-4 weeks course to bridge your gaps and to improve in all skill areas; reading, writing and spoken Hindi.

Hindi Hour Language School, JAIPUR

Email: hello@hindihour.com

Call: +91-98296-65275