Gurugram: Admitad, a global partner marketing network, has released its annual Diwali e-commerce insights, analyzing over 700,000 online orders made in India during the 2024 and 2025 festive seasons. The findings highlight strong momentum in India’s online retail sector, driven by expanding digital adoption and a rising contribution from affiliate-led performance marketing.
According to Admitad, online orders during Diwali 2025 rose by 15% year-on-year, while Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) increased by 8%. The average order value (AOV) dipped slightly from ₹3,830 to ₹3,550, even as publisher income grew by 10%, underscoring the growing efficiency and impact of affiliate marketing channels.
When compared to the overall shopping season in 2025, Diwali sales continued to outperform the broader market — with orders up 5%, GMV up 4%, and publisher earnings up 5%. The modest AOV decline from ₹3,640 to ₹3,550 reflects active consumer participation driven by festive offers and aggressive brand promotions.
Major metros including New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gurugram, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Chennai led India’s festive e-commerce surge, reaffirming their dominance as key growth markets.
Home, Electronics, and Fashion Lead Festive Purchases
The top-performing categories during Diwali 2025 were Home Goods (20%), Electronics & Accessories (19%), and Fashion (18%), followed by Beauty & Self-Care (10%), Travel (6%), Toys & Sporting Goods (5%), and Online Food Delivery (5%). The data reflects a healthy mix of household, lifestyle, and leisure-driven spending.
Experiential Spending Gains Momentum
Categories witnessing the fastest growth compared to regular shopping periods included Event Tickets (+73%), Travel (+55%), and Children’s Products (+22%). The surge in travel and entertainment spending highlights a growing preference among Indian consumers for experiences and family-centric celebrations.
Mobile Apps and Cashback Platforms Drive Growth
The report also revealed significant shifts in consumer acquisition behavior. Mobile app advertising contributed nearly 30% of all Diwali sales, underlining the growing dominance of app-based shopping. Cashback platforms accounted for just over 15% of total customers, followed by context targeting (13%) and coupon sites (10%), cementing the importance of incentive-driven performance marketing channels in festive sales strategies.
Neha Kulwal, Managing Director, Mitgo India & APAC, stated, “The festive period is still playing a significant role in enhancing the e-commerce growth in India. The results this Diwali season have further validated the role of performance marketing in delivering measurable results for both brands and publishers. Consumers are shopping more often, trying out new categories, and engaging across digital platforms more than ever before, and this presents a significant opportunity for our partners to innovate and grow.”
As India’s e-commerce landscape continues to evolve, Admitad remains focused on empowering advertisers, publishers, and creators with advanced technology and data-driven insights — fostering deeper engagement, higher performance, and sustainable growth across digital ecosystems.
