92% of Indians to increase festive spending in 2025: Report

JioStar on Tuesday released the 2025 edition of the JioStar Festive Sentiment Survey. As India approaches the 2025 festive season, 92% of consumers plan to maintain or increase their spending, according to the survey report. The findings indicate strong consumer confidence, with the average festive shopping budget estimated at Rs 16,500.

The survey, developed to decode how India is thinking, spending and discovering this season, pointed towards strong media influence and significant opportunity for last-mile persuasion as a majority of consumers remain undecided about their preferred brands.

The report noted that the survey highlighted several notable trends for marketers for this year, a growing millennial spending base, increased spending by men, women driving diversity in purchases and broader shopping categories including fashion, beauty, wellness, home appliances and mobiles. Nearly half of the respondents said they will shop for others, pointing to a resurgence in gifting. Importantly, 65% of shoppers have not yet decided which brands they will purchase from.

Mahesh Shetty, Head of Revenue, Entertainment, JioStar, said, "This year’s festive outlook is marked by strong consumer optimism and evolving media consumption. Marketers are looking to engage audiences across platforms and languages and that’s where JioStar’s robust festive offering becomes invaluable. With #HarGharMeinJashn, we are creating a high-impact funnel for brands across discovery, intent and purchase touchpoints."

Other key findings of the report include 85% say their financial situation has improved or stayed the same over the past year. Millennials are expected to spend more than Gen Z, with higher budgets and greater category intent. Women plan to shop across more than two categories, including apparel, beauty, gadgets, and home décor. Top product categories are apparel and fashion (33%), mobiles (27%), electronics (18%), followed by holidays, jewellery, and beauty. 76% of consumers cite online ads as their primary source of purchase information, followed by OTT/UGC content and social media. Retail channels remain balanced, with 52% planning to shop online and 42% offline. Digital payments dominate, with 61% preferring cashless options, primarily UPI and mobile wallets.

Category-specific trends include strong demand for televisions (47%) among home appliance buyers, gold jewellery purchases influenced by purity (55%) and increased interest in ethnic wear among women (63%). Travel intentions are high, with 82% preferring trips with family or friends, mainly for pilgrimages (53%) and treks (33%), with online platforms being the preferred booking method (63%).