India is on the verge of concluding its mega festive season, and the sales during this month-long shopping spree have surpassed the annual budget of Pakistan for the current financial year. This festive period began with Navratri and will conclude with Chhath, with Dhanteras and Diwali being the key drivers of festive spending.
According to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), India’s total sales during the festive season currently stand at ₹6.05 lakh crore. Compared to that, Pakistan’s budget for the current financial year stands at around ₹5.27 lakh crore.
As per a survey conducted by the CAIT Research & Trade Development Society, India has so far recorded an unprecedented turnover of ₹5.40 lakh crore in goods and ₹65,000 crore in services during the 2025 festive season.
The CAIT survey covered 60 major markets and thousands of traders across Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities. The 2025 festive sales, according to the CAIT report, represent the highest festive turnover ever in the history of Indian retail. This year’s figure also marks a 25% growth in sales compared with last year’s figure of ₹4.25 lakh crore.
According to the CAIT press release, this new milestone for India’s business ecosystem was driven by “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s consistent call for Swadeshi and Vocal for Local.” The report also lauded the GST rate cuts, noting that these too translated into tangible economic growth and renewed market confidence.
The CAIT survey stated that the surge in sales was “a clear reflection of stronger consumer sentiment, improved purchasing power, and the success of GST rate reductions across key categories such as garments, footwear, confectionery, and home décor.”
The report also showed that 87% of consumers preferred Indian-made goods over imported items. Conversely, sales of Chinese products dropped sharply across cities.
The CAIT report further noted that this trade boom has generated nearly 50 lakh temporary jobs in logistics, packaging, transportation, hospitality, and delivery services, providing a strong boost to small and medium enterprises.
It also highlighted that rural and semi-urban India contributed nearly 28% of total sales, “proving that consumption growth is now truly inclusive and pan-India.”
According to CAIT, the Trader Confidence Index has risen to 8.6 (from 7.8 last year) and the Consumer Confidence Index to 8.4, underscoring optimism in India’s retail economy.
