Bangalore: AppsFlyer, the global leader in marketing measurement, attribution, and data analytics, has released its India Festive Report 2025, revealing a major shift in how brands and advertisers approach the country’s most competitive season. Once driven by a single Diwali peak, India’s festive cycle has now expanded into a nine-week sequence of growth opportunities across Shopping, Gaming, Travel, Food & Drink, and more.
Based on more than 20.5 million installs and $576 million in user acquisition and remarketing spend, the report highlights that consumer engagement no longer ends with Diwali but sustains well into the post-festival weeks. Gaming and Food & Drink apps, for instance, recorded post-Diwali install growth of 29% and 16% respectively, while Travel apps saw a 40% rise in Android remarketing spend. iOS Shopping apps also surged, with session volume up 20% after Diwali—driven by extended deals and gift redemptions.
“India’s festive season is no longer a one-week race to Diwali,” said Sanjay Trisal, General Manager INSEA and ANZ, AppsFlyer. “It has evolved into a sustained momentum period that requires marketers to think beyond peak-week spikes. To win across this extended window, brands need to pace budgets by platform, invest in post-Diwali remarketing, and prioritize re-engagement touchpoints beyond Day 7. Android offers long-tail value when remarketing is timed right, while iOS demands sharper sequencing and early conversion. Lifecycle strategies and fraud protection must be tailored to these moments if marketers want to maximize both growth and efficiency.”
Among the key findings:
- Gaming led install growth post-festival, but remarketing activity remained low, signaling missed opportunities in retention.
- iOS Shopping apps grew session volume by 20% after Diwali, showing strong reactivation potential.
- Android remarketing spend rose 40% in Travel and 26% in Shopping, while iOS re-engagement dipped despite solid acquisition numbers.
- Top 10 Shopping apps increased Share of Paying Users by 32% YoY, driven by smoother checkout flows and brand trust.
- Fraud rates spiked after Diwali, with Food & Drink apps on iOS hitting 60% (a 176% jump) and Android Entertainment rising 74%.
Commenting on the report, Rishad Chindamada, Vertical Head of Gaming, Tech, Health & Education at Meta, said, “The festive season drives a significant surge in consumer demand and purchase intent, offering a prime opportunity for brands to accelerate growth by leveraging mobile and digital strategies. Mobile platforms drive rapid acquisition and re-engagement, enhanced by digital penetration and AI tools optimizing campaigns. Full-funnel marketing across channels like Business Messaging and Reels ensures engagement from awareness to retention. As brands leverage data-driven insights and targeted segmentation, they can maximize festive growth and build lasting loyalty.”
The report recommends that marketers shift remarketing budgets to the post-Diwali period—when user intent stays high but competition falls—while sequencing campaigns by platform. Android offers extended performance opportunities, while iOS requires tighter, front-loaded strategies. Retention beyond Day 7 should be strengthened through segmented push campaigns and reactivation flows between Days 10–14. Stronger fraud defenses are also critical during gifting cycles and regional peaks.
The India Festive Report 2025 analyzed anonymized data from October to December 2024 across verticals such as Gaming, Shopping, Travel, Food & Drink, Finance, and Entertainment. The study covered 20.5 million installs, $419M in user acquisition, and $157M in remarketing spend, using AppsFlyer’s privacy-first and integrity-driven methodologies.
