Home ／ Insights on entering the Indian market
2026.03.26
India is a country with an endless stream of festivals, offering marketing opportunities throughout the year. According to estimates by trade body CAIT, nationwide sales during the 2025 shopping season from Navratri (September 29) to Diwali (October 20) reached ₹6.05 lakh (1 lakh = 100,000 rupees) crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees) (6.05 trillion rupees, roughly 10.0 trillion yen). The breakdown was ₹5.40 lakh crore in goods and ₹65,000 crore in services. For e-commerce, research firm Redseer had forecast that GMV would reach ₹1.15 lakh crore (1.15 trillion rupees, roughly 1.9 trillion yen) over the 30 to 35 days before Diwali. The actual results published so far, for the first 11-day leg, were ₹60,000 to 62,000 crore (roughly 1.0 trillion yen), up 20 to 22% year on year. In other words, for brands succeeding in the Indian market, festival marketing is not a "nice to have" but the single most important strategy shaping annual sales.
What stands out is the fact that 60 to 65% of e-commerce buyers during the festive period come from Tier 2 and smaller cities. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities In India, where internet penetration is accelerating, festival-based marketing directly reaches rural and regional consumers as well. Surveys also show that 78% of Indian consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that recognizes their particular festival, making this a market where cultural empathy translates directly into brand loyalty.
This is a harvest festival celebrated across India. It is known as Makar Sankranti in North India and as Pongal in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. For agriculture and food-related brands, promotions tied to the joy of the harvest are effective. Traditional sweets made with sesame and rice, new-crop rice fairs, and similar campaigns resonate with consumers. In Gujarat, the kite-flying festival (Uttarayan) is celebrated on a grand scale, offering a good opportunity for outdoor and snack-related promotions as well.
It is spreading rapidly, especially among young people in urban areas, and the gift market is thriving. This is a period when demand rises for gift sets of chocolate, sweets, and premium foods. Instagram Visual marketing on social media is especially effective, and limited-edition packaging and campaigns aimed at couples attract attention.
Known worldwide as the "festival of colors," Holi is the most visually striking festival in India. Colorful photos and videos generate explosive engagement on social media. Demand for beverages, snacks, and sweets surges around Holi, with foods such as thandai (a traditional cold milk drink) and gujiya (a fried sweet) selling especially well. Because it falls close to International Women's Day on March 8, campaigns combined with skincare and wellness products are also effective.
This is the most important religious observance for India's Muslim community of around 200 million. Demand occurs in two stages: for foods for iftar (the meal breaking the fast) during Ramadan, and for gifts and sweets on Eid itself. Promotions of halal-certified foods and high-quality dates and dried fruit are effective. localization As part of this, delivering messaging in Urdu and Hindi is important.
Although there are few major festivals, this is peak season for demand for beverages, ice cream, and frozen food driven by the intense heat. Since it overlaps with school summer vacation, food promotions aimed at families and campaigns tied to travel are effective. June also has International Yoga Day (June 21), and with rising Health consciousness, it is the perfect time for health-food campaigns.
This festival celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters is widely celebrated across India. The gift market is energized, with demand for sweets, chocolate, and dried-fruit gift sets surging in particular. Demand for gift delivery via e-commerce is also high, and the combination of an online rakhi plus a gift has become established for family members living far away.
This is the largest festival in western India (Maharashtra), centered on Mumbai, and lasts ten days. Demand concentrates on sweets, led by modak (a steamed sweet offered to Ganesha), and sales of offering sets and decorations for home and corporate use grow. Street pandals (temporary shrines) also function as venues for brand sponsorship and sampling, making this the second most important shopping season after Diwali for food brands that prioritize the western Indian market.
The nine-day Navratri is an important festival marking the opening of the festive season. In western India (Gujarat), the Garba and Dandiya festival is celebrated, while in eastern India (Kolkata), Durga Puja is held on a grand scale. Demand for fashion, food, and decorations rises, and there is also a need for special foods during the fasting (vrat) period. It is also when pre-festive campaigns begin, functioning as e-commerce's "sale before the sale."
Diwali, India's biggest festival, is the peak of consumption across every industry. In just the first 11 days of the 2025 festive e-commerce sale, GMV exceeded 600 billion rupees (roughly $7.2 billion), recording rapid growth of 20 to 22% year on year. Around 90 million shoppers took part, spending an average of about 7,000 rupees per person.
A Diwali strategy is made up of three phases. Pre-Diwali Period (6 to 8 weeks before) During this period, gift guide content, shopping features, and home makeover series help shape consumers' wish lists. Since 65% of consumers begin searching for deals two weeks before the festival, early SEO and content efforts are key. The Diwali Period In this period, limited-edition products, special packaging, and flash sales drive purchases. The Post-Diwali Period In this period, inventory clearance and retention initiatives aimed at the new year are rolled out. digital payments Coordination with payment platforms is essential, and UPI offers and cashback campaigns help push purchases along.
In addition to the Christian communities in Goa and Kerala, Christmas consumption is expanding among young people in urban areas and at global companies. Year-end and New Year sales are an opportunity to finish clearing Diwali inventory and capture demand for the new year.
Brands that win the festival season start planning three to four months in advance. In influencer marketing especially, top creators are fully booked two to three months ahead, and partnership costs at peak times run 30 to 50% higher than usual. For Diwali 2026 (November 8), the strategy should be finalized by August, with creative production and influencer contracts completed by September.
There is data showing that during the festive period, preference for offline stores for Diwali shopping fell 14% year on year while preference for online shopping rose 15%. Even so, the most effective approach is an omnichannel strategy that integrates online and offline. India Market In this market, a consumer journey is becoming established that runs from discovery on social media, to purchase via e-commerce, to the in-store experience.
India is a multi-religious, multilingual society, and even the same festival can differ by region in name, customs, and food culture. For example, the mainstream Diwali sweet is kaju barfi (a cashew confection) in North India, murukku (a fried snack) in South India, and sandesh (a cheese-based sweet) in Bengal. Producing content in regional languages and adapting to region-specific food culture are essential.
During the festive period, social media engagement jumps to two to three times the usual level. Instagram A "see it, buy it" path using Reels, YouTube Shorts, and WhatsApp Status is effective. Especially during Holi and Diwali, user-generated content (UGC) campaigns can go explosively viral.
Building a cycle that accumulates consumer behavior data from the festive period and feeds it into the following year's strategy becomes a long-term competitive advantage. Recommendations based on past festive purchase data, retargeting ads, and personalized messages on WhatsApp substantially improve conversion rates.
For festival marketing budget allocation in the Indian market, many companies concentrate 30 to 40% of their annual marketing budget into the festive season (August to December). A guideline for the specific breakdown is as follows.
Digital advertising (40%): This is deployed mainly through Google search ads, Facebook/Instagram ads, and YouTube ads. Since CPC rises 20 to 30% during the festive period, securing the budget in advance is important. Influencer marketing (25%): Micro-influencers (10,000 to 100,000 followers) offer the best cost performance, and booking mega-influencers requires reserving three months in advance. Content production (20%): This covers the planning and execution costs of regional-language content, video production, and UGC campaigns. Promotions and discounts (15%): This is invested in flash sales, bundle offers, and campaigns tied to UPI cashback.
KPIs for measuring results include tracking GMV growth during the festive period, customer acquisition cost (CAC), repeat purchase rate, social media engagement rate, and changes in brand awareness. What matters most is measuring the LTV (customer lifetime value) of new customers acquired during the festive period, to verify whether the campaign is contributing to long-term brand building rather than just a one-off sales bump.
The single most important thing to watch in Indian festival marketing is cultural sensitivity. In a country where diverse religions coexist — Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Jainism among them — giving the impression of favoring only one religion poses a brand risk.
Successful brands practice "inclusive festival marketing." Examples include campaign designs that celebrate not just Diwali but Eid and Christmas equally, and middle-class product lineups spanning a wide price range from the mass market to the affluent, and customizing which festival is prioritized by region (Durga Puja in Kolkata, Onam and Pongal in South India, for example).
localization From this perspective, what is needed is not mere translation but creative work rooted in regional food culture, color sensibilities, and gifting customs. For example, red-and-gold packaging is preferred for Diwali gifts in North India, while white and red are the traditional colors in Bengal.
India Market For Japanese companies entering the Indian market, festival marketing is the first major test. The following staged approach is recommended.
Stage 1: Observation and Learning (First Year) In this stage, observe the major festivals in the target region and understand consumer behavior patterns. Working with a local partner or consultant is important. Stage 2: Trial Participation (Second Year) In this stage, run a trial campaign focused on one or two major festivals, such as Diwali. Launching limited-edition products or gift sets is effective. Stage 3: Building a Year-Round Calendar (From the Third Year Onward) In this stage, build a year-round festival marketing calendar and formulate product, promotion, and content plans tailored to each festival.
Strengths Japanese brands can draw on include the premium image of "Japanese quality," the beauty of package design, and startups D2C development through collaboration with the e-commerce ecosystem, as well as storytelling that connects Japan's own seasonal events (cherry blossom viewing, Obon, New Year) with India's festivals.
Festivals are an opportunity for sales, but they are also a time when supply-side constraints tighten all at once. Alongside your offensive initiatives, be sure to factor in the following three points.
| Risk | What Happens | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Business Meetings and Operations Stop | Factories and logistics come to a halt, and decision-making stalls. This is hard to predict since holiday timing differs from location to location. | Settle any matters requiring sign-off the month before the festival. Check each location's holiday dates individually. |
| Securing Staff | Employees go home to their hometowns, leaving staffing especially thin for delivery and customer-facing roles. | Build your peak-period staffing plan ahead of time. Secure temporary staff early. |
| Rising Raw Material Costs | Prices rise for items where festival demand is concentrated, such as dried fruit, butter, and sugar. | Procure early and lock in prices. If a specification change is needed, decide by two months before the festival. |
For the reality of holidays shifting by location and the 2026–2027 dates, see "India's Holiday Calendar" and for how to prepare for the Diwali shopping season, see our article on Diwali 2026 covers this.
Because much of annual consumption is concentrated in the festival period. Indian retail sales grow substantially during the festive season, and many consumers tend to buy from brands that recognize their particular festival. Cultural empathy translates directly into brand loyalty.
Diwali, India's biggest festival, is the peak of consumption across every industry. Large-scale sales, centered on e-commerce, are held during this period, and a huge number of shoppers take part. It is the single most important shopping season for brands.
Winning brands begin planning several months in advance. In influencer marketing especially, top creators get booked up early, and partnership costs also rise during peak times. For Diwali, it is recommended to finalize the strategy several months ahead and complete creative production and influencer contracts by then.
Because India is a multi-religious, multilingual society, and even the same festival can differ by region in name, customs, and food culture. The colors used for festival sweets and gifts also vary by region, so creative work rooted in the local language and food culture is required.
Yes. In a country where diverse religions coexist, giving the impression of favoring only one religion poses a brand risk. Successful brands practice inclusive marketing that celebrates not just Diwali but Eid and Christmas equally, and customize which festival is prioritized by region.
A staged approach is effective. First observe and learn about the major festivals and consumer behavior, then run a trial campaign focused on one or two festivals such as Diwali, and after that build a year-round calendar. Working with a local partner or consultant from an early stage is effective.
Festival marketing in India is not merely a seasonal promotion but a cultural communication strategy for winning the hearts of 1.4 billion consumers. India's festive e-commerce market is expected to grow more than 25% year on year in 2026, driven in particular by a growing number of participants from Tier 2 and smaller cities. Starting to plan early, region-specific creative, omnichannel integration, and a culturally sensitive approach are the four pillars of success in Indian festival marketing.
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