MAM
Indian customers spent 11 per cent more during Rakhi festival in 2023
Mumbai: The amount of money Indian customers spent during the Rakhi festival week this year increased by 11 per cent compared to the festival in 2022. The average order value was Rs 2,055. Admitad’s affiliate network analysed over 400k orders across more than 350 brands to understand how customers behaved during the Rakhi holidays last year, and how they changed their preferences this year.
It can be seen that during the holiday week, many more people in the country chose to stay at home and shop using their computers – the percentage of mobile orders was only 45 per cent. In comparison, during the recent Independence Day, it reached 69 per cent, and on average during the “quiet period” – 48 per cent.
What was purchased during the festival?
Up to 40 per cent of orders this year were made on marketplaces – their influence has increased significantly since last year. The number of orders from major marketplaces during the festival jumped by more than 50 per cent. This could be expected, because many leading marketplaces prepare special sales, promotions and coupons for each holiday, and thus can maximize conversion among their customers.
25 per cent of all orders during the festival were for clothes, shoes and accessories – the number of purchases in this category increased by 16 per cent compared to last year. Next came beauty products with 8.5 per cent of purchases. Six per cent of orders went to the category of home goods and four per cent to food delivery. Interestingly, the number of food and grocery orders at Rakhi Festival more than doubled compared to last year and this category was one of the leaders in terms of purchase growth.
What attracted the shoppers?
Speaking on the report, Mitgo managing director, APAC and India Neha Kulwal said, “According to Admitad’s calculations, this year’s leaders in attracting orders during the festival were cashback services – they accounted for up to 26.6 per cent of all orders. Interestingly, their popularity has almost doubled compared to the Rakhi Festival last year. Apparently, the major players in this market have put a lot of effort in preparing promotional campaigns this time.”
17 per cent of the orders were brought to brands by content platforms and online media, which traditionally prepare reviews of the best gifts, dishes and ways to spend the festival. Indian shoppers do indeed pay attention to such articles, click on the links in them and buy the recommended products.
Another 10.5 per cent of orders came from coupon services, 10.3 per cent from contextual advertising, 7.5 per cent from affiliate stores, 6.7 per cent from mobile applications, and 6.5 per cent from loyalty programs.
The latter, by the way, were much more influential during the festival period than last year. Purchases based on recommendations of loyalty programs this year during the festival increased many times over. This trend, coupled with a significant increase in sales on marketplaces and through cashback services, makes one think that earlier big companies did not pay enough attention to the Rakhi holiday, but in 2023 they have fully included it in their agenda and made thorough preparations to spur user activity.
MAM
India’s employability gap persists despite strong hiring intent
Only 1 in 5 institutions achieve 76 to 100 per cent placements within six months of graduation.
MUMBAI: India’s young workforce is ready in numbers, but the real question is whether they are ready for work and senior leaders from industry, academia and policy gathered in Delhi to find practical answers. A closed-door roundtable hosted by Vaishali Nigam Sinha, co-founder of Renew, brought together key voices to discuss actionable solutions for bridging the persistent employability gap. The session highlighted that while job opportunities are expanding, the alignment between education and industry needs remains a critical challenge.
According to Teamlease EdTech’s Career Outlook Report HY1 2026, 73 per cent of employers plan to hire freshers in the first half of 2026, signalling steady recovery in entry-level hiring. However, employers are shifting focus from mere qualifications to demonstrable capability, placing greater value on internships, live projects and proof-of-work.
Teamlease Edtech, founder and CEO Shantanu Rooj emphasised the need for better alignment, “India’s employability challenge is no longer about access alone, but about alignment between education and work. Employers are increasingly relying on demonstrable capability such as internships, projects, and applied learning as indicators of readiness.”
Vaishali Nigam Sinha stressed the importance of execution over intent, “India has both the talent and the opportunity. What is needed now is alignment. We have to move from intent to execution by embedding employability into the system itself.”
Other prominent speakers included Dr Chenraj Roychand, Chancellor of Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, who called for universities to evolve from degree providers to ecosystem enablers, Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIM Calcutta, who highlighted the need for flexibility and multidisciplinary learning, and Dr T.N. Singh, Director of IIT Patna, who advocated deeper industry engagement through research and experiential learning.
The discussion also drew insights from the book Accelerating Impact. Enabling Dreams – Making India Employable by Shantanu Rooj and co-authors, which features contributions from leaders like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
During the event, Teamlease Edtech Foundation launched Project SEED, a national initiative aimed at bridging the education-employability gap for underserved youth. The project focuses on early intervention at the school level to guide students towards informed career choices and work-integrated pathways.
With only 16.67 per cent (1 in 5) of institutions achieving 76–100 per cent placements within six months of graduation, the conversation made one thing clear, India’s demographic dividend will deliver real value only when education and employability walk hand in hand. The gathering served as a timely reminder that the future of India’s workforce depends not just on creating more jobs, but on preparing young people far better to seize them.
