This Diwali, India did not just light diyas and burst crackers. It shopped, and it shopped fast. Data shared by Swiggy Instamart and Zepto on Monday shows that quick commerce has quietly become the new festive bazaar, with party orders, sweets, hampers and even gold coins flying off virtual shelves in minutes.
The numbers tell the story plainly. Instamart recorded a 162 per cent year-on-year jump in party-planning orders during Diwali, while demand for munchies and snacks rose 42 per cent. On Zepto, orders for festive hampers tripled compared with last Diwali, a sign that curated gifting has moved from a niche habit to a mainstream one.
Kaju katli rules the sweet charts
If there was one undisputed winner of the festive season, it was kaju katli. On Instamart, the cashew sweet was the most ordered mithai of Diwali, followed by motichoor laddoo and besan laddoo. Zepto told a slightly different story: laddoo was its most frequently ordered mithai, while soan papdi led in terms of total quantity sold.
Instamart also reported a 55 per cent rise in mithai orders overall, with laddoo, soan papdi, kaju katli, gulab jamun and peda among the leading choices. The sweet tooth, it seems, has fully embraced the ten-minute delivery promise.
Diyas, flowers and festive fashion
The festive rush went well beyond food. Zepto recorded 4.68 lakh diya orders during the Diwali period, while orders for flowers and garlands rose 2.5 times year on year. Festive fashion purchases doubled on the platform, with ethnic wear and traditional accessories driving demand, and beauty products recorded their highest orders on Diwali itself.
On Instamart, shopping trends recorded on November 8 showed the busiest hour was between 11 am and noon, with 11:18 am registering the highest number of orders in a single minute. It was the last-minute rush, compressed into a single hour, and the apps were ready for it.
Gold coins at the speed of groceries
Perhaps the most striking shift was in precious metals. Dhanteras shopping on November 6 saw consumers turn to quick commerce for gold and silver purchases in a big way. Zepto co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha said the platform was delivering more than 14,000 gold and silver coins per hour at its peak on Dhanteras, with peak sales of around 298 coins a minute.
Instamart saw gold coin orders jump 23 times in the week leading up to Dhanteras, while silver coin orders grew sevenfold. Hyderabad placed the very first gold coin order on Instamart this Dhanteras, a 24-karat gold coin ordered just 30 seconds past midnight on November 6. The biggest festive shopping basket of the season was recorded in Mumbai at Rs 1.11 lakh, made up of gold coins in Lakshmi-Ganesh and lotus designs.
Small cities led the festive rush
The demand was not limited to the metros. Raipur, Madurai, Guwahati, Thrissur and Kollam emerged as leading cities for festive demand on Instamart, showing how deeply quick commerce has spread beyond the big cities. Flipkart Minutes, the e-commerce giant’s quick-commerce offering, also recorded a threefold increase in orders between October 30 and November 5, driven by festive essentials, home and kitchen products, decor and gifting.
And in a detail that sums up the modern Indian festival perfectly, Diet Coke was the most popular non-grocery item on Instamart on Diwali eve.
What this Diwali really changed
This year’s numbers point to a clear shift in how India celebrates. The festive shopper no longer plans weeks ahead and visits five different shops. Sweets, diyas, flowers, hampers, ethnic wear and even gold coins now arrive in minutes, ordered from the sofa between family gatherings.
For the platforms, Diwali 2026 was a stress test passed at scale. For shoppers, it was convenience turned into a habit. The question now is whether the festive rush fades with the diyas or whether ten-minute delivery has permanently rewired how India shops for its biggest festival.
FAQs
What was the most ordered sweet on Instamart this Diwali?
Kaju katli topped the mithai charts on Instamart, followed by motichoor laddoo and besan laddoo.
How much did Instamart’s party orders grow this Diwali?
Party-planning orders on Instamart rose 162 per cent year on year, while demand for munchies and snacks grew 42 per cent.
How many diyas did Zepto sell this Diwali?
Zepto recorded 4.68 lakh diya orders during the festive period, and its festive hamper orders tripled compared with last Diwali.
Did people really buy gold coins on quick-commerce apps?
Yes. Zepto delivered more than 14,000 gold and silver coins per hour at its peak on Dhanteras, and Instamart saw gold coin orders jump 23 times in the week before Dhanteras.
Which cities led festive demand on Instamart?
Raipur, Madurai, Guwahati, Thrissur and Kollam emerged as the leading cities for festive demand, alongside strong buying in the metros.
Quick commerce has made its case this Diwali, and the numbers suggest it is here to stay.
