Festivals are the periods of celebration and an important part of Indian culture. They are a tool to bring life to a state of exuberance and enthusiasm. It is the season when the bulk of the annual sales of consumer goods happen. Let us look at the commercial implications of festivals in the Indian economy.
- India, a saving economy: The Indian economy for long, has concentrated on Savings, and spending was limited to only festive days. And all of us know, how important spending is for development of an economy.
- Spending: The spending that happens during festivals, from clothes to shoes, to decorative items to white goods etc, provides big fillip to all industries in the Indian Economy. Even sectors like Automobiles see major sales during festival periods.
- Housing Infrastructure: Housing Infrastructure Industries (Paint, Sanitary ware etc) gets a big push during the festive periods.
- Employment:. Festivals generate lots of employment opportunity for unorganized labor class, especially artisans. For them, it is most important tool for survival.
- Regional festivities: India is a vast country, with small different cultures from region to region. Region specific festivities provides boost to specific regions, it also gives opportunity to Vendors to move from one region to another depending upon seasonality.
- Product Launches: New Products and designs are launched during festival time, to enable the companies to push sales. This drives Innovation.
- Launch period for new companies: Festivals are periods, where new companies (foreign and domestic), feel confident to launch themselves in new markets. Thus increasing competition and overall being good for consumers.
- Online Retailers: During festive season E-tailers like Amazon, Flipkart, snapdeal etc experience multi fold increase in demand. Flipkart clocked Rs 600 crore in sales in 10 hours last Diwali.
- Precious Metals: Traditionally, gold & silver have been the preferred asset for Indian investors and the clamour for these precious metal increases every year during festivities as these metals are considered auspicious.
- Tourism: In recent years festivals are being used for promoting tourism. The time-limited event encourages tourists to visit the place during the event. This provides them a unique chance to interact with the local community, gaining a deeper experience of the ambience, customs and local culture.