Raksha Bandhan 2026: Instamart reports a massive 20x surge in premium Rakhi demand
This year, Instamart said it is offering a wide assortment of Rakhis priced from ₹9 to ₹999, ensuring options across various styles, formats, and price points.
As India prepares to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, consumers are moving beyond traditional threads in favour of premium, jewellery-inspired keepsakes. According to a recent Swiggy Instamart press release, the quick-commerce platform has witnessed a massive 20x surge in demand for premium Rakhis compared to last year.
Driven by strong consumer demand for silver designs, the platform has seen a significant spike in searches for jewellery brands.
Instamart projected that the overall Rakhi gifting segment may grow by around 3x this year as shoppers actively seek gifts that combine utility, personalisation, and a touch of indulgence.
Shift toward premium keepsakes
To meet this evolving demand, Instamart said it has curated, through its sellers, an expansive premium festive edit spanning renowned brands such as Swarovski, GIVA, Nestasia, Kalyan Jewellers, and Palmonas.
According to the press release, customer choices heavily reflect this premium shift. Top picks on the platform currently include:
- Kalyan Jewellers: The 925 Tripundra Trishul Rakhi and 925 Ganesh Rakhi (both crafted in 1g silver).
- Palmonas: The waterproof, anti-tarnish Divine Lotus, Divine Om, and Circle of Love Rakhis.
Adding tangible value to the traditional ritual, Instamart highlighted exclusive promotional offers.
The Palmonas Rakhi featuring Shraddha Kapoor includes a complimentary Palmonas “diamond affairs” bracelet worth ₹3,499, redeemable at any Palmonas store pan-India.
Additionally, the quick commerce platform said, customers purchasing Rakhis from Kalyan Jewellers on Instamart receive a 10g silver voucher with every purchase.
Growth beyond metros
The appetite for elevated, personalised gifting is spreading well beyond India's largest metropolitan cities.
According to the press release, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, and Chandigarh have emerged as some of the fastest-growing markets for premium Rakhis.
Beyond the Rakhis themselves, popular gifting categories driving sales this season include chocolates, soft toys, men's bracelets and wallets, women's pendants and handbags, and perfume sets.
Speaking on the surge, Gautam Swaroop, Chief Business Officer at Instamart, said, “As consumers’ needs, preferences and occasions continue to evolve, we’ve built Instamart to offer a broader and more differentiated selection, from everyday essentials to premium and curated products.”
Swaroop shared that Instamart is seeing strong consumer response to its premium offerings, reflecting a growing appetite for greater choice and discovery. “This is at the heart of our Switch to Better proposition, as we continue to deepen these segments and make Instamart a destination that can cater to every kind of need and occasion.”
Broader assortment for early shoppers
This year, Instamart said it is offering a wide assortment of Rakhis priced from ₹9 to ₹999, ensuring options across various styles, formats, and price points.
The platform noted that the shift toward planned, elaborate festive shopping continues a strong upward trajectory.
Citing 2025 data, the press release highlighted that Rakhi orders grew 3.5x year-on-year, while Rakhi hampers grew 8x.
Sweets and chocolates also saw massive 8x and 4x spikes over regular days, with customers increasingly starting their Rakhi shopping several days ahead of the festival.
About the Author
Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.
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