Mumbai: India’s digital audience demonstrated sustained engagement throughout the final quarter of 2025, according to a report by Taboola Newsroom. Unlike previous years when Diwali dominated Q4 activity and interest dropped sharply afterward, this year saw a continuous flow of audience engagement across multiple seasonal moments, signalling a shift toward a longer, more connected cultural season.
Diwali marked the quarter’s strongest lift, generating over 28 million pageviews, a 573% increase compared to the preceding 45 days. Engagement spanned décor, rituals, gifting, shopping, food planning, and regional celebrations, with adjacent categories like travel and cuisine also seeing notable growth. Unlike past years, audience attention did not taper off after the festival, positioning Diwali as the opening point of Q4 rather than its peak.
Christmas interest surged 298%, starting earlier than usual and extending the holiday period, with audiences seeking food ideas, entertainment content, and family-led activities. This smooth transition from Diwali to Christmas highlights how Q4 now operates as a continuous timeline rather than a short burst around a single festival.
Technology content remained prominent with 10 million pageviews, driven by AI and workplace-related topics, while entertainment maintained a steady daily presence with 21 million pageviews covering films, celebrities, nostalgia-driven content, and lifestyle articles. Food and travel were key anchors, with travel searches up 14% and food content generating 3.3 million pageviews throughout the quarter. The World Cup also contributed to engagement, generating 5.8 million pageviews, a 260% rise, blending naturally into the overall Q4 progression.
The Taboola report highlights a clear behavioural shift: Q4 in India is now a prolonged season of continuous engagement across cultural, entertainment, and interest-led moments rather than a single-festival spike. For marketers, this signals the importance of planning campaigns beyond Diwali, leveraging the extended attention window across multiple touchpoints.
Taboola Newsroom’s insights reveal a year-end defined by sustained activity, earlier seasonal intent, and a seamless progression from Diwali to Christmas, reflecting the evolution of Q4 into a continuous cultural season driven by multiple connected moments.
