Fewer Indians plan to raise festive budgets in 2026, but high spenders grow: Survey

New Delhi: Fewer Indians plan to increase their festive budgets in 2026, even as high-ticket consumers willing to spend Rs 50,000 or more have risen by 2 percentage points, according to a survey by InMobi Advertising.

InMobi Advertising’s annual report showed no change in the percentage of people willing to spend over Rs 10,000 in the upcoming festive season.

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“There is a 2 percentage point increase in consumers saying they will spend in the top bracket of festive spending which is above Rs 50,000,” the report said.

However, the overall base of consumers willing to increase their budget has decreased, home-grown technology firm InMobi’s advertising arm said. The survey covered 1,110 males and females across Android and Apple’s iOS platform between August 7-11, 2026.

“This year, high spending intent spans across operating systems, with Android users demonstrating remarkable purchasing confidence – 22 per cent plan to spend between Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 compared to 15 per cent of iOS users, while both share equal representation in the over Rs 50,000 budget bracket,” the report said.

Around 60 per cent of consumers plan to make purchases within a month before the festivals, with 29 per cent shopping just one week or less before they begin, the report said.”77 per cent of Indian consumers have increased their festive shopping budgets, with 3 in 5 shoppers planning to spend over Rs 10,000,” the report said. Last year, 83 per cent of Indian consumers had indicated a willingness to increase their festive shopping budget.

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Consumers in tier-2 are outnumbering their peers in Tier 1 in the mid-budget spending segment of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.

According to “The Marketer’s Guide to India’s Festive Season 2026”, people are now increasingly relying on AI for exploring, evaluating and deciding on purchases. Millennials, and not Gen Z, are using AI more for shopping decisions.

“From smart search suggestions (89 per cent) to virtual product try-ons (81 per cent), AI-assisted brand discovery and decision-making are gaining significant traction, with millennials demonstrating greater enthusiasm for AI-based recommendations for festive looks and products than Gen Z by 10 percentage points,” the report said.

The report found that the festive basket is also expanding beyond traditional categories.

“While apparel and footwear remain staple festive purchases (50 per cent), categories like jewelry (40 per cent) and grocery/daily essentials (37 per cent) are also seeing strong purchase intent,” the report said.