Why the Next Wave of Gifting Growth Will Come from Everyday Celebrations, Not Just Festivals

For centuries, gifting in India has been a way of expressing care, respect, and belonging. It has marked relationships as much as occasions, bringing families together during festivals, ceremonies, and life milestones where the act of giving itself held meaning. Over time, these gestures became closely tied to the calendar. Festivals, weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries began to dictate not just when people gifted, but what they chose and how much they spent. In the process, gifting gradually shifted from an instinctive expression of connection to a more structured, occasion-led ritual.

That framework is now evolving. The next phase of India’s gifting growth will be shaped not only by Diwali peaks or Valentine’s Day surges, but by the everyday moments in between smaller, more frequent expressions of appreciation that mirror how Indians live, work, and stay connected today.

From event-based gifting to emotion-based gifting

Urbanisation, nuclear families, remote work and digital-first lifestyles have fundamentally altered how relationships are maintained. When people no longer meet as frequently in person, gifting becomes a proxy for presence. A cake sent to a colleague on a promotion, flowers for a friend moving cities, a small token to mark a personal win, these moments are no longer “optional extras”. They are how modern relationships are sustained.

What’s changing is intent. Gifting is moving away from obligation and toward expression. It is less about social expectation and more about emotional relevance. This shift favours frequency over scale, thoughtfulness over extravagance.

Also Read: The New Playbook of Winning in India’s Creator Economy: Precision Influence

Rise of Micro-celebrations

India is witnessing a sharp rise in what can be called micro-celebrations, everyday occasions that were previously only acknowledged verbally, if at all. First day at a new job, completing a fitness milestone, a child’s exam result, a team finishing a project and many more. These moments may not warrant grand gestures, but they do invite acknowledgement.

Digitally native consumers, especially younger cohorts, do not have any hesitation in commemorative moments with such gifts. The essence here is not just the amount but the timing and relevance of the gifts. This trend opens an entire world of gifting beyond events like festivals.

One of the strongest catalysts for this kind of transition is the growing consumption base in non-metro India. With aspirational consumers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities receiving access to digital interfaces mixed with relatively high disposable income and a smaller intimate group of people to appease , their interaction with gift-giving is becoming more frequent and complex. Even if such consumers do not choose to spend more, they will certainly spend more often. They are embracing gift-giving for social groups, work environments, or extended families, and not limited to special events. More importantly, they prioritize ease, reliability, and emotional connect, thereby driving repeat business. The result is a structurally broader gifting market, less dependent on seasonal peaks and more rooted in everyday life.

As the industry heads toward USD 92.32 billion by 2030, growth will increasingly come from everyday celebrations, driven by rising adoption in smaller cities, AI-led hyper-personalisation, speed becoming a baseline expectation through same-day or even 30-60 minute deliveries, and a move toward experiential gifting that fits seamlessly into daily life rather than waiting for the calendar to dictate occasions.

Historically, everyday gifting was limited by friction: time, availability, logistics and choice. Technology has removed much of that friction. Today, discovery, personalisation and delivery can happen in minutes. This ease is changing consumer psychology. When gifting becomes simple, it becomes spontaneous. When it becomes spontaneous, it becomes habitual.

Crucially, technology is also enabling smarter gifting. Data-led recommendations, reminders, curated selections and quick fulfilment allow consumers to gift thoughtfully without investing disproportionate effort. The emotional payoff remains high, while the operational burden disappears.

Also Read: Not Competition, Not Capital — Startups Are Dying Because Confusion Has Replaced Clarity and Decks Have Replaced Products

Future of Gifting Industry

The future of gifting will favour players who understand context over occasion. Growth will not be defined by who owns the biggest festival spike, but by who earns relevance in everyday moments.

Personalisation will be central to this shift. With gifting becoming more regular and intentional, consumers begin to expect more from gifts than simply an occasion, they want them to reflect both the individual and the context. Personalisation is moving from a value-add to a baseline expectation, making everyday gifting feel thoughtful rather than transactional.

This evolution calls for products that are versatile, easy to personalise, and suited to daily moments, supported by seamless and reliable experiences. Brands that stay closely aligned with how people celebrate today, through micro-moments and evolving behaviours, will be best positioned to build habitual engagement and long-term relationships.

Giving in Indian culture is no longer confined only to times of merriment and annually celebrated events. Rather, it's about all those small reasons that bring people together every day.

And that is where the next wave of growth will come from.