iWorld
Diwali’s influencer magic: Sparking a festive sales surge!
Mumbai: Diwali has transcended traditional celebrations to become a digital extravaganza, with influencers playing a pivotal role in shaping consumer choices. This cultural shift has not only illuminated social media platforms but has also ignited a significant surge in festive sales.
Influencers have harnessed the power of Diwali’s cultural significance to create engaging content that resonates with their diverse audiences. From decor ideas to festive recipes, influencers have become the torchbearers of Diwali inspiration. Their ability to seamlessly blend tradition with modernity has made them key players in shaping consumer trends during the festive season.
The impact of influencer marketing during Diwali is reflected in the impressive surge in festive sales. E-commerce platforms have witnessed a substantial increase in traffic and transactions, with consumers relying on influencers’ recommendations for their Diwali purchases. The seamless integration of product placements within influencer content has transformed casual scrolling into a virtual shopping spree.
Let’s delve deeper into this topic and see what the influencers and the industry experts have in their mind regarding the ongoing trends during this festive season.
Edited excerpts
Animeta creator Shilpa Chaudhary
By engaging with their followers through live streaming, influencers can visually show and demonstrate the products and how to incorporate them into festive celebrations.
This visual element during a festive influencer campaign helps for an emotional connect which in turn can boost sales
Their authenticity and relatability foster a sense of credibility that often translates into higher engagement rates and, ultimately, increased sales. When an influencer endorses a product or service, their followers are more likely to view it as a genuine recommendation
While celebrity influencers still have a significant impact, brands are increasingly turning to micro-influencers to reach their target audience. These individuals have smaller, but highly engaged, audiences, and they can help brands to reach a specific niche market with greater impact.
Mom blogger, Certified in Child Nutrition and Child Care Sonali Sarkar
Diwali’s influencer magic sparks a festive sales surge, and as a Mom Influencer, I’ve seen the incredible power of influence firsthand. Consumers today look to us for authentic recommendations, and our ability to connect on a personal level builds trust. Influencers inspire purchasing decisions by showcasing genuine experiences with products or services, making them relatable to their audience. To ensure success, influencer marketing agencies employ strategic approaches like data analysis, targeting the right niche, and crafting engaging content that resonates with the brand’s values. It’s a dynamic blend of trust, authenticity, and creativity that ignites the spark of influence, lighting up the path to festive sales success.
Instagram Mom Blogger & Influencer, Certified in Child Nutrition, Nutrition & Yoga Tanya Mehra
Motherhood is a journey filled with ups and downs, but one thing remains constant – the influence of fellow moms on our choices. As a mom blogger, I understand the power of relatability and trust in this community. When it comes to influencing purchasing decisions, moms often turn to influencers like me for recommendations, from baby gear to household products. We share our honest experiences, offering a personal touch that resonates with our followers.
Influencers, regardless of their niche, affect consumer choices through authenticity, expertise, and genuine connections. To ensure this impact, influencer marketing agencies employ several strategies. They carefully match brands with influencers whose values align, fostering credibility. Agencies track and analyze data to gauge campaign success and adapt as needed. Collaborations are designed to feel organic and not overly promotional, maintaining the trust between the influencer and their audience. Ultimately, influencers bridge the gap between brands and consumers, offering a valuable, human touch in the world of marketing.
Tikshark Solutions CEO & founder Archit Agarwal
Influencers are like super cool online trendsetters who have a big say in what people buy. You know when you see your favorite YouTuber using a product and suddenly you want it too? That’s how influencers influence us!
So, here’s the deal – At Tikshark, we understand this power. We work with influencers to help brands connect with consumers. We do this by choosing influencers that match the brand’s vibe and audience. These influencers then create cool and engaging content about your product. When people see their favorite influencer using it, they feel like they need it in their lives.
Tikshark makes sure the content is relatable, engaging, and honest. We also track insights like how many people bought stuff because of these influencers. This way, we ensure that the brand gets the most bang for their buck with influencer marketing!
Chtrbox VP Karan Pherwani
Influencers have a significant impact on consumers’ purchasing choices. Unlike traditional celebrities, influencers connect with their audience on a more personal and relatable level. This trust is the foundation of influencer marketing. Influencers share their genuine experiences with products or services, both the good and the bad. This transparency is what initially draws people to follow them, as it helps consumers make informed decisions about what to buy.
Influencer marketing agencies play a crucial role in this process. We work to secure beneficial partnerships between brands and influencers where both parties can mutually benefit. This collaboration helps them reach their desired target audience, especially during festive seasons. To ensure the success of such partnerships and collaborations, we, as an agency, take several strategic steps.
First, we ensure that the brand’s values and messaging align with the influencer’s values and tone. This alignment is crucial for maintaining authenticity and trust with the influencer’s audience. Additionally, Chtrbox considers the type of content that will effectively promote the product or service, tailoring it to suit the influencer’s unique style and preferences. The relevance of the product to the influencer’s audience is also taken into account to ensure that it resonates with the target consumers.
As influencers continue to weave their creative narratives around Diwali, brands and consumers alike can expect this trend to illuminate future festive seasons, creating a lasting impact on the intersection of culture, commerce, and digital influence.
ONDC
During the busy holiday season, some categories draw more attention as people look for gifts and festive items. This is most noticeable in electronics, clothing, and home decor. ONDC understands how the festive spirit influence what people want during this season and as an open network, we offer a fair online shopping community wherein buyers can discover all kinds of sellers for their purchases no matter which platforms or apps they use – a truly diverse and inclusive marketplace during this season of sharing.
We have strategies and support for network participants to use the festive season to their advantage. First, we make it easy for businesses of all sizes to join ONDC Network with low upfront costs. Our network helps sellers connect with buyers all over India without any filters or barriers, giving everyone a fair chance. Sellers can promote special festive deals, use social media, organize their product listings, manage their inventory, offer festive-themed packaging, ensure on-time delivery, and provide good customer support.
Our seller apps, linked to ONDC, offer even more features like admin tools, support in multiple languages, personalized seller pages, logistics integration, valuable data and insights, strong security, and dedicated customer service. This approach allows our network participants to make the most of the festive season, attract buyers with exciting offers, and provide a smooth shopping experience, especially during the festive season.
In India, there are over 12 million sellers, but only a tiny fraction, 15,000 (0.125% of the total), are equipped for e-commerce. This leaves many sellers, especially those from small towns and rural areas, struggling to get online. Today, ONDC has all kinds of sellers onboard, from big brands to local artisans, and strives to create an affordable and scalable e-commerce network for everyone. Together, we embark on a journey filled with shared experiences, the thrill of discovery, and the promise of connection.
Gaming
India’s new online gaming rules take effect today, banning money games and creating a regulator
The rules, in force from today, separate e-sports from gambling and impose jail terms and stiff fines on violators
NEW DELHI: India’s online gaming sector woke up this morning to a new reality. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, came into force today, May 1st, turning a year of legislative intent into enforceable law. The message from New Delhi is blunt: e-sports and social games are welcome; online money games are not.
The rules operationalise the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act, passed by Parliament in August 2025. Together, they represent the most sweeping regulatory intervention India has made in its booming digital gaming market, one that generated Rs 23,200 crore in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 11 per cent to reach Rs 31,600 crore by 2027. The stakes, in every sense, could not be higher.
A sector out of control
The urgency behind the legislation is not hard to find. An estimated 45 crore Indians have been affected by online money gaming platforms, with losses exceeding Rs 20,000 crore. Addiction, financial ruin, money laundering, and suicides have all been linked to the sector. Seventy-seven per cent of the market’s revenues came from transaction-based games, a figure that made regulators deeply uneasy.
The government’s response, effective as of today, is categorical. Online money games, whether based on chance, skill, or any mix of the two, are banned outright. So is their advertising, promotion, and facilitation. Banks and payment processors are barred from handling related transactions. Unlawful platforms can be blocked under the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
The penalties are designed to sting. Offering or facilitating online money games can attract up to three years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both. Repeat offenders face a minimum of three years, extendable to five, with fines between Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore. Advertising such games carries up to two years in prison and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh, with repeat violations attracting higher penalties still. Cyber cell officers at state and union territory levels, including at police station, district, and commissionerate levels, are empowered to investigate offences.
The new sheriff in town
At the centre of the new framework sits the Online Gaming Authority of India, a digital-first regulator constituted as an attached office of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, headquartered in Delhi. It is chaired by the additional secretary of MeitY and includes joint secretary-level representation from home affairs, finance, information and broadcasting, youth affairs and sports, and law and justice, a deliberately multi-sectoral design built for a complex sector.
The authority’s powers are broad. It will maintain and publish lists of online money games, investigate complaints, issue directions, orders, and codes of practice, hear appeals on user grievances, and coordinate with financial institutions and law enforcement to ensure effective and timely action.
Its decisions on game classification are to be completed within 90 days, a time-bound commitment that industry players have welcomed after years of regulatory ambiguity. Classification can be triggered by the authority acting on its own initiative, by an application from a service provider, or by a notification from the central government. Games will be assessed on objective factors: whether stakes are involved, whether players expect monetary winnings, the revenue model, and whether in-game assets can be monetised outside the game. The outcome is recorded in a determination order specific to the game and provider.
E-sports gets its moment
While the crackdown on money gaming dominates today’s headlines, the rules also carve out a structured path for e-sports and online social games. Registration, required when notified by the central government, applies to all games offered as e-sports and is based on factors including risk to users, scale, financial transactions, and country of origin. A successful application yields a digital certificate of registration with a unique number, valid for up to ten years. Service providers must display registration details, designate a point of contact, comply with data retention requirements, and follow directions on facilitating payments.
Online money games are explicitly ineligible for recognition or registration as e-sports under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. The separation is deliberate, and the industry has noticed.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, called today’s operationalisation “encouraging,” pointing to publisher-led registration of esports titles and a time-bound determination process as creating “much-needed certainty for all stakeholders.” He added that the “continued emphasis on clearly separating esports from online money gaming is critical in preserving the integrity of competitive gaming as a skill-driven discipline.” He described it as “a proud moment to see official acknowledgement of the broader benefits of responsible esports and gaming, from building confidence, discipline, and teamwork to creating new career pathways for young talent,” and said the framework sets “a strong foundation for the ecosystem to scale in a more structured and globally competitive manner.”
Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and chief executive of S8UL, was equally bullish. “This clarity is critical in unlocking investor confidence and attracting multi-genre brands, while also enabling organisations to take a more long-term view, whether in investing in talent, scaling teams, or building globally competitive formats,” he said, adding that it “strengthens trust among audiences and mainstream stakeholders, positioning esports not just as a sport, but as a fast-growing youth entertainment category in India.”
But Agarwal urged caution on several fronts. There remains limited clarity around financial frameworks, particularly in how esports earnings are treated by banks and financial institutions. A well-defined pathway for the formal recognition or registration of esports teams is still evolving, as are structured player protections. He also called for smoother visa processes for esports athletes competing in international tournaments and for government support in developing infrastructure, including bootcamps, training facilities, and access to high-performance equipment across titles.
Vishal Parekh, chief operating officer of CyberPowerPC India, pointed to downstream effects on education and careers. “With formal recognition and policy backing, colleges and institutions are more likely to take the sector seriously, whether through dedicated esports infrastructure, training programmes, or curriculum integration,” he said, adding that this helps students view gaming as a viable career spanning roles across competitive play, content, game development, and allied industries. He noted that as esports gains prominence in global multi-sport events, the framework strengthens India’s position in international competitive gaming, and called on the ecosystem to provide the right infrastructure and access to high-performance hardware to unlock opportunities in talent development and job creation.
Protecting users, one safeguard at a time
The rules introduce a layered system of user protections calibrated to the risk profile of each game. These include age verification, age gating, time restrictions, parental controls, user reporting tools, counselling support, and fair-play and integrity monitoring. Service providers must disclose their safety features and internal grievance mechanisms when applying for determination or registration.
A two-tier grievance redressal system sits atop these safeguards. Users who are dissatisfied with a platform’s resolution can escalate to the authority within 30 days. The authority aims to dispose of such appeals within a further 30 days. A second appeal lies before the secretary of MeitY, who must also endeavour to resolve matters within 30 days. Enforcement proceedings will be conducted in digital mode wherever possible, with cases targeted for resolution within 90 days from receipt of a complaint.
Penalties under the framework are proportionate, taking into account gain from non-compliance, loss to users, the gravity of the offence, and whether violations are recurring. Mitigation efforts by service providers will also be considered when determining penalties. All penalties imposed under the Act will be credited to the Consolidated Fund of India.
The money follows the rules
For investors and founders, the implications are immediate and significant. Sagar Nair, head of incubation at LVL Zero Incubator, a 100-day sprint designed to accelerate early-stage gaming startups across India, argues that with real-money gaming now prohibited, capital will shift “away from transaction-driven models toward content-led, IP-driven, and global-first gaming businesses.” He acknowledged trade-offs: for operators with exposure to real-money formats, the market becomes more restrictive in the near term. But he argued that by clearly separating esports and non-money gaming from online money gaming, “India is positioning itself as a hub for responsible, creative, and scalable game development.” The opportunity, he said, is “to view India not just as a monetisation-first market, but as a talent, IP, and scale market,” adding that “for founders and investors willing to adapt, this shift could ultimately strengthen India’s position in the global gaming landscape.”
The government frames the wider impact in equally ambitious terms: a boost to India’s creative economy and digital exports, new career pathways for young people, protection for families from predatory platforms, and a stronger voice in global digital governance. India, it argues, offers a model for other countries grappling with the same tensions between gaming’s economic promise and its social risks, one that shows innovation and strong safeguards need not be mutually exclusive.
Whether the framework delivers on those promises will depend on enforcement, always the hardest part. But from today, the architecture is firmly in place: a regulator with teeth, a classification system with deadlines, penalties designed to deter, and a clear dividing line between games that build careers and games that destroy finances. For a sector that has grown fast and governed itself loosely, May 1st, 2026 is the day the free ride ends.
