E-commerce Shimmers Bright: A Sparkling Diwali Success

The 2025 Diwali festive season was a resounding success for India's e-commerce sector, with a 24% YoY growth in order volumes, driven mainly by quick commerce apps and brand websites. Tier II and III cities saw significant contributions, reflecting enhanced digital reach and purchasing power even in smaller towns.

The 2025 Diwali season shone brightly for India's e-commerce sector, with an impressive 24% year-on-year growth in order volumes, and a 23% rise in gross merchandise value (GMV), per Unicommerce, a SaaS platform.

Quick commerce apps were at the helm of this robust growth, surging 120% in order volumes, trailed by brand websites recording a 33% increment. Marketplaces continued to dominate, comprising 38% of total purchases and marking an 8% rise in order volumes. Unicommerce's insights stem from over 150 million transactions on its Uniware platform during the festive span of 2024-2025.

The festive surge saw contributions from tier II and III cities encompass 55% of total orders, highlighting digital momentum in smaller towns. Prepaid orders rose by 26%, indicating greater trust in digital transactions, while COD orders saw a 22% increase in volume and 35% in GMV.

(With inputs from agencies.)