Raksha Bandhan is emerging as a key test case for how India’s gifting economy is changing, with consumers moving beyond traditional sweets and rakhis towards premium, personalised and occasion-led purchases. Quick-commerce and e-commerce platforms recorded a sharp rise in demand for jewellery, accessories, hampers and festive merchandise this season, with younger consumers and shoppers in smaller cities playing an increasingly important role.
On Swiggy Instamart, premium rakhi sales surged 20-fold year-on-year (y-o-y), driven by strong demand for silver designs and increased searches for jewellery brands such as Kalyan Jewellers, Palmonas and GIVA. Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Chandigarh emerged among the fastest-growing markets for premium rakhis, indicating that the appetite for elevated gifting is spreading beyond the country’s largest cities.
The shift is not limited to the rakhi itself. Soft toys, men’s bracelets, women’s pendants, chocolates, wallets, handbags and perfume sets were among the popular gifting categories on the platform. Instamart’s data also points to consumers planning their festive purchases earlier and opting for more elaborate gifting. In 2025, rakhi orders on the platform had grown 3.5 times y-o-y, while rakhi hampers grew eight-fold. Sweets and chocolates also saw eight-fold and four-fold growth, respectively, over regular days.
E-commerce marketplace Meesho, meanwhile, saw orders during the Rakhi shopping cycle rise around 36 per cent, while gross merchandise value grew about 38 per cent. More significantly, non-metro India accounted for nearly 73 per cent of all rakhi orders, highlighting the growing contribution of smaller towns to festive online consumption.
Tier 3 and Tier 4 markets recorded the fastest growth. Dadri in Uttar Pradesh led with around 105 per cent y-o-y growth, followed by Nabarangapur in Odisha, Kasganj, Dhamtari and Nainpur in Madhya Pradesh. The festive opportunity also brought more sellers onto the platform, with the number of businesses offering rakhi products increasing 72 per cent.
Flipkart Minutes saw festive shopping grow three-fold, with Gen Z accounting for more than 40 per cent of shoppers. Rakhi emerged as its fastest-growing category, recording 20-fold growth, while fashion maang tikka grew four-fold. Precious earrings, gold and silver coins and bars, and pooja thali sets also saw strong demand.
The platform’s data suggests gifting is becoming increasingly personalised and occasion led. Searches for rakhi hampers, gift baskets and Rudraksha rakhis grew alongside demand for accessories, while men’s kurta orders rose 87 per cent y-o-y as shoppers turned to quick commerce for last-minute festive dressing.
The trends point to a broader transformation in festive consumption: rakhi gifting is becoming more premium and personalised, while the growth of Gen Z and non-metro shoppers is pushing festive e-commerce deeper into India’s smaller cities.
Published on August 28, 2026
