Diwali 2026 runs five days, from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Tuesday 10 November, with the main Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November. Diwali, the festival of lights, symbolises the victory of light over darkness, and gifting is a joyful part of both Dhanteras and Diwali itself.1 Because the festival centres on buying, gifting and sharing food, it is a major demand window for packaging in India.
The scale of festive demand
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) expects trade between Navratri and Diwali to pass Rs 7 lakh crore, with groceries and FMCG at 12 per cent of festive trade and gold, silver and jewellery at 10 per cent.2 That is growth of 15 to 18 per cent on last year's festive trade of about Rs 6.05 lakh crore, and Dhanteras alone is expected to reach a record Rs 1.25 lakh crore.3 Much of that spending moves through boxes, pouches, cartons and carry bags, so festive volumes flow straight into converters, printers and material suppliers.
What Diwali packaging looks like
Diwali packaging is gift-led: sweet boxes, dry fruit hampers, corporate gift sets and decorative sleeves, where presentation matters as much as protection. Contents are also costlier this year, with pistachio and date prices reportedly doubling in Mumbai and other dry fruits up to 35 per cent dearer than last year,4 which raises the premium on well-protected, presentation-grade packs.
Materials are shifting too. Bare Necessities, for example, introduced mono-material packaging for its Diwali gifting range, a format that is simpler to recycle than mixed layers.5 Consumer guides also point out that plastic wrap and non-recyclable packaging pile up after every festival, which is pushing buyers towards low-waste, plastic-free gifts.1 For packaging suppliers, that means paper, board, jute and reusable formats are gaining ground in gifting, although none are automatically sustainable in every application.
Regulation and circularity
Regulation is shaping these choices. The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified on 31 March 2026, add recycled-content obligations for plastic packaging.6 For 2026–27, the requirements are 40% for Category I, 10% for Category II and 5% for Category III packaging.7
Commentators are pushing further. One Business Standard feature argues that brands should run take-back, resale and donation programmes so that both gifts and their packaging get a second life.8 For brand owners and suppliers, the 2026 takeaway is clear: festive packaging is judged not on looks alone, but on cost, compliance and circularity.
Sources
1 Hindutone, "Eco-Friendly Diwali 2026" (hindutone.com/festivals/eco-friendly-diwali-2026-celebrate-the-festival-of-lights-sustainably/); Hindutone, "Green Diwali 2026" (hindutone.com/festivals/diwali-2026/green-diwali-2026-how-to-celebrate-without-harm-to-nature/)
2 IANS, "India's festive trade may top Rs 7 lakh crore this year, says CAIT", 14 October 2026 (ianslive.in)
3 IANS, "India's Dhanteras business hits record Rs 1.25 lakh crore: CAIT", 6 November 2026 (ianslive.in)
4 Free Press Journal, "Diwali 2026: Pistachio And Date Prices Double, Making Festive Gifting Costlier In Mumbai", 22 October 2026 (freepressjournal.in)
5 Bare Necessities, "Our Diwali Gifting Diaries" (barenecessities.in/blogs/sustainable-gifting/our-diwali-gifting-diaries)
6 PETplanet, report on the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 237(E), 31 March 2026 (petpla.net)
7 Down To Earth, "The Sunita Narain Show: Why India's EPR system fails to tackle plastic waste despite recycling success" (downtoearth.org.in)
8 Business Standard, "The second life of gifts: Why Diwali giving need not end at unwrapping" (business-standard.com)