Direct selling crawls to Rs 23,021 Cr in FY25 as e-com, quick commerce squeeze the channel

IDSA pegs India's direct selling industry at Rs 23,021 crore in FY25, up just 4% YoY. 58% of 93 lakh sellers flag intensifying competition from e-commerce, quick commerce and D2C. Wellness holds 60% share, cosmetics 26%; women make up 48% of the seller base.

— Source publishedWed, 20 May, 2026, 10:39 IST·First seen Wed, 20 May, 2026, 10:44 IST·Source YourStory

What happened

IDSA report says India's direct selling industry grew 4% to Rs 23,021 crore in FY25, but 58% of sellers cite intensifying competition from e-commerce, quick

Key facts

  • Rs 23,021 crore FY25
  • 4% YoY growth
  • 58% sellers cite e-com competition
  • 93 lakh direct sellers
  • 48% women
  • 60% wellness share
  • 26% cosmetics

Why this matters

Fragmented direct sellers under margin pressure create a buyer's market for tuck-in M&A—target wellness/cosmetics players (86% combined share) with strong female agent networks (48%) that lack digital infrastructure you can layer on.