Swadeshi drive & GST cuts push Diwali sales to ₹6L cr

INDIAN PRODUCTS TOP CHOICE FOR 87% OF SHOPPERS: CAIT DATA

- VIVEAT SUSAN PINTO

DIWALI SALES THIS year touched a record ₹6.05 lakh crore led by GST rate cuts and strong demand for local or 'swadeshi' products, traders' body CAIT said on Tuesday, adding this was the highestever in India's trading history.

Sales were a smart 25% higher than last year, including ₹5.4 lakh crore worth of goods and ₹65,000 crore in services.

Almost 85% of the total trade in 2025 came from physical markets and smaller traders, CAIT said, marking a comeback for traditional trade that has seen a slowdown in recent years due to the rise of ecommerce and quick commerce. Rural and semi-urban India accounted for 28% of total trade, confirming deeper economic participation beyond metros, the body added.