India’s e-commerce orders up 24%, Qcom jumps 120% during 2025 Diwali: Report

India’s e-commerce sector ended the 2025 Diwali festive season recording a 24% year-on-year (YoY) increase in order volumes and a 23% rise in gross merchandise value (GMV), according to Unicommerce, an e-commerce enablement SaaS platform.

The data, based on over 150 million transactions processed through Unicommerce’s Uniware platform during the 25-day festive period, shows that Tier II and III cities together contributed about 55% of total orders, highlighting the growing digital adoption in smaller towns.

Quick commerce platforms drove the highest growth with a 120% YoY jump in order volumes, followed by brand websites, which grew 33%. Marketplaces remained the dominant channel, accounting for 38% of total purchases and posting an 8% YoY increase in orders.

Regionally, Tier II cities led the growth with a 28% YoY rise in orders, while Tier I cities and metros grew 24%, and Tier III towns recorded a 23% increase, reflecting widespread festive demand across the country.

Top-performing categories included FMCG, especially healthy foods like fusion sweets, dry fruit combos, and millet namkeens, home decor and furniture, beauty and wellness products, and health and pharma, driven by supplements.

On the payments front, prepaid orders grew 26%, indicating stronger trust in digital transactions, while Cash-on-Delivery (COD) orders rose 22% in volume and 35% in GMV, pointing to a shift toward higher-value COD purchases.

The platform’s logistics data from its Shipway platform showed that orders were delivered 15% faster this year, reflecting improved supply chain readiness, better demand forecasting, and faster last-mile delivery, ensuring smooth fulfillment even during peak festive demand.