Diwali trade touches record Rs 6.05 lakh crore, says CAIT report

New Delhi: India’s Diwali trade reached an all-time high of Rs 6.05 lakh crore this year, supported by recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms and stronger consumer sentiment, according to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

CAIT said the figure includes Rs 5.40 lakh crore from goods and Rs 65,000 crore from services, based on a nationwide survey conducted across 60 major distribution hubs, including state capitals and Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Last year, Diwali sales were estimated at Rs 4.25 lakh crore.

The report found that mainline retail, particularly non-corporate and traditional markets contributed nearly 85% to total trade, signalling a continued revival of India’s physical marketplaces and small traders.

Sector-wise, the largest contributors were grocery and FMCG (12%), gold and jewellery (10%), electronics and electrical items (8%), consumer durables (7%), ready-made garments (7%), and gift items (7%). Home décor, furnishings, sweets and namkeen, textiles, pooja articles, and dry fruits made up the remainder.

CAIT National President B. C. Bhartia said the services sector added Rs 65,000 crore to the overall trade through activities such as packaging, hospitality, cab services, travel, event management, tent and decoration, manpower, and delivery.

According to the report, 72% of surveyed traders linked the higher sales volumes to reduced GST rates on daily-use products, footwear, garments, confectionery, home décor, and consumer durables.

Consumers reportedly expressed greater satisfaction with stable pricing, which encouraged steady festive spending.

The findings also indicate that this surge is likely to continue through the winter, wedding, and forthcoming festive period from mid-January.

CAIT estimated that Diwali 2025 trade generated around 50 lakh temporary jobs across logistics, packaging, transport, and retail services. Rural and semi-urban India accounted for 28% of total sales, reflecting growing participation beyond metropolitan areas.