Premium appliances grow 11% as festive-first buying fades

The festive season used to be the moment Indian households saved for. Large electronics, cars, appliances and other big-ticket purchases waited for Diwali. That rhythm is now breaking, writes Anil Dua, COO of Usha International, in a recent Adgully column.

Dua argues consumers are shifting to an ‘always-on’ shopping mode. The need, the upgrade or the lifecycle of a product now triggers the purchase, not the calendar.

Need-driven buying, not date-driven buying

Premiumisation is one clear signal. The premium appliance segment—products priced above ₹50,000—is growing at around 11% CAGR, significantly outpacing the base market. Rising aspirations, better product awareness and easier information access are pushing buyers to act when they see meaningful value, not when a festival arrives.

Gen Z is central. As India’s largest cohort and projected to spend $1 trillion by 2030, Gen Z has accelerated the move to digital research. Consumers can compare specifications, watch demos, read reviews and check pricing at any point in the year. E-commerce penetration is projected to surpass nearly 40% by 2028, further weakening the old seasonal windows.

From ‘new and premium’ to ‘what does the tech do’

Buyers are also getting rational about technology. Dua points to air fryers moving from niche to mainstream as people explore healthier cooking, and to 100% copper BLDC fan motors gaining adoption because they signal efficiency and long-term value. These are not status upgrades alone; they are benefit-led upgrades.

The same demand story shows up in investment: electronic goods have attracted FDI inflows of ₹59,953.71 crore (US$8,030.05 million) between April 2000 and March 2026, reflecting rising demand and stronger category status.

What the shift means for brand strategy

For marketers, the old playbook was to pile spend into a few festive spikes. Dua’s recommendation is to invert that:

• Educate continuously rather than only around sale windows.
• Launch meaningful innovations that justify an upgrade year-round.
• Communicate everyday value—efficiency, health, long-term cost—not just festive discounts.

A useful lens is mental availability. Consumers buy brands that come to mind in a buying situation. If buying situations now happen in every month, a brand that only shows up at Diwali is absent for most of them.

The takeaway for our readers

The festive season hasn’t disappeared, but it is no longer the exclusive trigger for big-ticket consumption. The brand that wins the next decade of Indian appliances is the one that is present whenever the customer is ready to upgrade—whether that is October, March or a random Tuesday evening.

Source: Adgully