Instamart sees 20x surge in premium Rakhi demand beyond metro markets

Ahead of Raksha Bandhan 2025, Instamart said demand for jewellery-inspired Rakhis from Kalyan Jewellers, Palmonas and GIVA rose sharply, led by Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Chandigarh. The platform is offering premium designs priced up to ₹999.

— Source publishedTue, 25 Aug, 2026, 16:07 IST·First seen Tue, 25 Aug, 2026, 16:18 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Instamart reports a sharp Raksha Bandhan shift toward premium, jewellery-inspired Rakhis, with demand led by Kalyan Jewellers, Palmonas and GIVA products.

Key facts

  • 20-fold surge in premium Rakhi demand versus last year
  • 3x growth in demand this year
  • ₹999 Rakhis
  • 925 silver Rakhis weighing 1g
  • Rakhi orders grew 3.5x in 2025
  • Rakhi hampers grew 8x
  • Sweets grew 8x during regular days
  • Chocolates grew 4x during regular days

Why this matters

Jewellery and gifting brands should pursue seasonal exclusive bundles, rapid-delivery integrations and city-specific launches with quick-commerce platforms to capture emerging-market premium demand.

What to watch

  • Whether premium Rakhi average order values and conversion rates remain elevated through the final 7-10 days before Raksha Bandhan.
  • Repeat purchase and cross-category attachment rates among premium Rakhi buyers after the festival.
  • Expansion of branded festive assortment and dark-store inventory in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh and other tier-2 markets.
  • Competitor responses from Blinkit, Zepto and Flipkart Minutes, including exclusive jewellery or gifting partnerships.
  • Evidence that brands convert quick-commerce buyers into direct-to-consumer, marketplace or physical-store jewellery customers.
  • Instamart is likely to add more branded premium gifting bundles, personalization, gift-wrap and scheduled-delivery options for upcoming festivals.
  • Jewellery and fashion-accessory brands will introduce quick-commerce-friendly products in the ₹299-₹1,499 range with festival-specific packaging and inventory allocation to tier-2 hubs.
  • Competing platforms may seek exclusive festive partnerships with jewellery, beauty, sweets and accessory brands, raising customer-acquisition spending around major occasions.
  • Platforms will use Rakhi buyer data to cross-sell hampers, chocolates, flowers, beauty, ethnic wear accessories and higher-margin gifting items.