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The Confederation of All India <keyword id="6371444" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="traders" source="Orion">Traders</keyword> (<keyword id="853920" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="cait" source="Orion">CAIT</keyword>) has asked traders to increase their stocks as people are going to buy more in the upcoming <keyword id="188" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="diwali" source="Orion">Diwali</keyword> festival season. Citing a <keyword id="15508" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yougov" source="Orion">YouGov</keyword> report, CAIT has said that nearly 36 per cent of people living in the urban areas are likely to spend more during the Diwali season. "The expected growth in business among cities will not be restricted to cities alone but traders in small towns and rural areas will also witness growth," it said. CAIT National President B.C.Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said the report of YouGov was based on Diwali spending index, which shows that this year the spending intent stands for 94-45 in comparison to 90.71 in 2021 and 80.96 in 2020 which is also a parameter for recovery of the economy. In the last two years due to Covid pandemic, the consumers faced a financial crisis." The prominent sector, the CAIT, sees growth include home appliances, Travel, Health and Fitness, Home Decor and gold. The CAIT expects that besides these sectors consumer electronics, mobiles, readymade garments, gift articles, FMCG sector, consumer durables, electrical fixtures and fittings, etc., will also see good business. CAIT said the festival season was all set to begin from August 31 to September 9, which will be prominently celebrated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, etc. whereas the festival of Navratri, Ramlila and <keyword id="6357908" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="durga-puja" source="Orion">Durga Puja</keyword> will begin from September 26 to October 5, and Diwali on October 24. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indian-fintechs-raised-29-bn-this-year-thats-14-of-the-total-global-funding-share-report/articleshow/93721531.cms">Indian fintechs raised $29 bn this year, that's 14% of the total global funding share: report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/only-1-of-indians-plan-to-buy-e-scooters-in-6-months-over-safety-performance-concerns-report/articleshow/93721613.cms">Only 1% of Indians plan to buy e-scooters in 6 months over safety, performance concerns: report</a>

Stock up for upcoming festive season, retail body tells traders

The festival of Diwali brings to our minds several positive ideas like light, prosperity, wealth, abundance, growth, development, triumph and happiness. Diwali holds a lot of significance for businesses since the essence of Diwali is to honor Goddess Lakshmi, the fountain head of prosperity and seek her blessings to move the business towards success. Here is how your business can celebrate Diwali. Clean your premises Cleaning is the most important activity preceding Diwali celebrations. Start well in advance and clean your entire premises and bring in a new look to your business place. Sprinkle the holy waters of Ganga as a symbolic mark of purification. Set up the puja altar Choose a prime place for performing the <keyword id="31818" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali-Puja">Diwali puja</keyword> in your office, shop or workshop. The most common practice is to spread a red color cotton cloth on a table or platform and place a handful of grains at the center. Install the Kalash Set up a Kalash (holy pot), which is a sacred symbol of auspiciousness and prosperity in Indian culture. Preferably, choose a silver or bronze pot, clean it and place it on the grains in the puja altar you have set up. Fill three fourths of the pot with clean water and drop a betel nut, coin, raisins, clove, and a flower inside the pot. Place a bunch of mango leaves on the mouth of the pot in a circular fashion and place a coconut over it. Invite Ganesh and Lakshmi for the puja To the south-west of the Kalash, place the idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh. In front of the whole set up, place a good looking plate, spread rice gains over it and draw some floral designs in it in turmeric powder. Place some coins on the rice. Arrange your account books and office materials Place the accounting books of your business and the other items related to wealth in front of the puja altar. Wear tilak on your foreheads and light lamps. Apply tilak to the images of Lakshmi and Ganesh and the kalash also. Give a holy bath to the idols Give a holy bath to the Lakshmi and Ganesh idols with pure water, panchamrit, rose water, sandal water, Ganga water and other perfumed waters. Finish the holy bath with pure water. Offer flowers and mantras Decorate the idols and kalash with flowers and tilak. Chant the names of Ganesh and Lakshmi and offer flowers at the altar. Say some mantras of Lakshmi and Ganesh and perform the puja with devotion. Make the other offerings The different offerings with which you treat Lakshmi and Ganesh include sweets, some special dishes you prepared in your kitchen, coconut, betel leaves and nuts, fruits and others. Say the prayers When the deities are pleased with your prayers, it is the time now to say your prayers. Sit in meditation in front of the altar and say your prayers for the good of your business and household. Never forget to pray for the welfare of the whole world. Conclude the puja with arati Light camphor and wave it in front of the idols and kalash. Also wave it in front of the accounting books and other materials placed in front of the kalash. Offer your respect to the deities and conclude the puja by distributing sweets and gifts to the invitees and employees.

Diwali puja procedure for your business

<ul><li>A lot of hopes rest on this year's <keyword id="36208" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season" source="Orion">festive season</keyword> for businesses across the country. With Covid numbers in control, it is expected that consumer sentiments will take a positive turn.</li><li>According to a recent report by <keyword id="6618217" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="admitad" source="Orion">Admitad</keyword>, the festive season is expected to reach Rs 7.9 billion, which will be a 3X growth over last year.</li><li>The report also states that consumers will prefer online shopping to offline shopping thereby increasing the hike in sales during the festival time.</li></ul>The 2020 festive season has clocked Rs 2.9 billion (GMV) sales for the online brands. This year it is expected to reach 7.9 billion INR and thus increase the growth by over 3X. Most likely, the maximum number of orders across the country will be coming through the categories of Electronics, Fashion, and Apparel, Baby products, Furniture and Homeware. The electronics category is expected to jump to a 41% rise making the category the most popular among the consumers during the festive season. Fashion and apparel are expected to touch the 33% rise in the market. As work from home continues to be a part of the system, Furniture and Homeware products are expected to grow about 11%. As per the analysis, consumers will be preferring online shopping to offline shopping thereby increasing the hike in sales during the festival time. As the covid-19 pandemic continues to improve, Indians are excited about the upcoming festival season sales and are surely planning to make a purchase during this time. As per our analysis, the growth during festive season sales 2021 is expected to grow by 14 % compared to last year. Speaking on the role of the festive season for online brands, <keyword id="6618219" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="neha-kulwal" source="Orion">Neha Kulwal</keyword>, Country Manager, Admitad Affiliate India added- “Brands have always looked up to festive season as their prime time to double the sales. An increasing number of brands are becoming more judicious about their marketing spends. Marketers are going beyond search and social media, and leveraging affiliate channels to reach their target audience. Over the years, we have witnessed brands using the Admitad Affiliate network to drive sales, generate revenues and this can play an even more significant role in the upcoming festive season as brands look to strengthen their online presence and drive growth.” Furthermore, we have also witnessed a fair growth in gifting products, Jewellery, and IT Softwares categories which open up new monetization opportunities for publishers during the festive sale. Since consumers spend a lot of time online, and internet usage can prove to be a big shot for brands targeting audiences on various platforms available like telegram, loyalty platforms, cashback and coupon websites which can be an effective source of driving traffic to the brand’s website and generate their revenue. Brands can find the pool of such traffic sources under the umbrella of affiliate marketing. With the festive season round the corner, brands are strateging their marketing plans and publishers are looking for an opportunity to monetize through various channels. On the whole, things are looking positive and this festive season can be one of the biggest among all festive seasons.

This year's festive sale in India expected to reach Rs 7.9 billion, a 3X growth over 2020: Report

Diwali is a five day long festival in India. Diwali is a vibrant festival celebrated with the biggest enthusiasm by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and others in India. Irrespective of the regional differences in how Diwali is celebrated, the top highlights of Diwali are lighting lamps, wearing new clothes, sharing sweets, feasting, bursting crackers and performing pujas at homes and business places. <keyword id="31818" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali-Puja">Diwali puja</keyword> is said to bring prosperity, wellness, wealth and happiness into homes. <keyword id="8263943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="diwali-schedule">Diwali Schedule</keyword> 2019 The five day long Diwali celebrations start on October 25, 2019 and conclude on October 29, 2019. The list of events for Diwali are as follows. October 25, 2019 (Friday) Dhanteras October 26, 2019 (Saturday) Chhoti Diwali or Naraka Chaturdashi or Hanuman Puja October 27, 2019 (Sunday) Main Diwali Festival and Lakshmi puja October 28, 2019 (Monday) Govardhan Puja October 29, 2019 (Tuesday) Bhai Dooj The main Diwali festival On the day of Diwali, many people perform Lakshmi puja. This year, the main Diwali festival falls on Sunday, October 27, 2019. The best time for Diwali Lakshmi puja is between 06:43 pm and 08:15 PM on this day. Diwali celebration in households There are several regional variations on how Diwali is celebrated in India. However, the main aspects of Diwali celebrations are notably the same across the country. People clean up their homes, decorate it, draw rangolis, light lamps and perform pujas at homes. Delicious dishes and new clothes are the most integral part of Diwali celebrations. Bursting crackers is a great excitement for families on the day of Diwali. Due to environmental concerns, fireworks and crackers are restricted this year. Hence people are finding some alternative ways to celebrate Diwali with merriment. The importance of Diwali for business communities For many business communities in India, Diwali is the last day of the financial year. Hence, performing Lakshmi puja on this day is considered very auspicious and it becomes a kind of invitation to Goddess Lakshmi to bless the business with prosperity and success during the coming year. The businessmen place the new account books, silver and gold coins and other important tools and things connected to their trade in front of the altar on the day of Diwali puja. Auspicious things to do on Diwali day Diwali day starts with holy bath. It is very auspicious to take bath in the Ganges. People who do not have access to the Ganges waters have a dip in other holy rivers or mix up a few drops of Ganga water in the water they use for bathing and purification rituals. Wear new clothes, share sweets, do charities, burst crackers and socialize with friends and families. Decorate the homes and business places with rangolis, flowers and festoons. Light lamps in the morning and evening and arrange them in different patterns throughout the house and business places. In the evening Pradhosh Kaal on the day of main Diwali celebrations, perform Lakshmi puja and Kuber Puja. Final word about Diwali Diwali is a festival that unites families, friends and people together. This festival refreshes and rejuvenates the human consciousness. Celebrate Diwali in a traditional way and fill your homes and businesses with prosperity and happiness.

Diwali puja time, date, all schedule you need to know

<keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>, the festival of lights is deeply connected with the religious and spiritual sentiments of people in India. Celebrated in a highly unique and enthusiastic way, Diwali is so dear to children and elders alike for the several charms the day holds for all. People eagerly await Diwali and wish to make the most of the day for the prosperity of the home, wealth, health and happiness. If you wish to reap the benefits of Diwali celebrations, there are few dos and don’ts prescribed by the tradition. Closely following this list can ensure you get the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi in abundance for yourself and your sweet home. <keyword id="8263972" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="dos-for-diwali-puja">Dos for Diwali Puja</keyword> During <keyword id="31818" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali-Puja">Diwali puja</keyword>, set up the altar in the north-east direction of the home or business place. The idols placed in the puja must face the east direction. Those who perform puja must sit facing the north direction. Light the main puja lamp with ghee. The count of the lamps kept in the puja must be 11, 21 or 513. In the southeast corner of the home, place a mustard or sesame oil lamp and keep it lit throughout the Diwali festival. Keep the house and business premises neat, clean and well lit during the Diwali celebrations. Goddess Lakshmi likes clean places and blesses the homes and business sites that are maintained well. Abstain from disputes, quarrels and disagreements in the house or business during the puja. Let all the members of the family participate in the pujas. Remember, this is the best part of all your lives and it is important to suspend all your other activities during the puja focusing mainly on worshipping Goddess Lakshmi. When you involve in the puja as a family, you will see harmony, peace, hope and happiness filling the household or business place. Place valuables like gold, silver, jewels and others in the puja. This act can bring good luck. It is also auspicious to place the things, account books and other materials connected with your education or business in the puja. Don’ts for Diwali Puja Never borrow money or lend money during the Diwali celebrations. Never give things to others after sunset. Though charity is a good thing to do during Diwali festival, never give away anything during the pradosh kaal or the two hours’ time immediately following the sunset. Do not gift items like leather goods, sharp edged items, and crackers to anyone during the festival. In case it becomes a must to give any of these items, give them along with sweets. Never cook or consume non-vegetarian foods in home, abstain from taking alcohol during Diwali. Throughout the night of Diwali puja, never leave the puja place unattended so that the lamp you light burns with a continuous supply of ghee or oil. Do not clap while singing Lakshmi aarti. Never shout or sing loudly during the puja since Lakshmi abhors loud noise and will get offended with such activities. Do not sweep the puja area or the house immediately after the puja as this act can cancel the merits and benefits received from the puja.

The dos and don'ts rule during diwali puja time and day

Diwali, the festival of lights, is a vibrant festival filled with a variety of events, celebrations, rituals and pujas. Central to these festivities is the Lakshmi puja, which seeks to invite prosperity into our homes and businesses. This year, the puja will take place on November 1, 2024. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and the consort of Lord Vishnu, blesses us during this time, bringing hope, positivity, and growth into our lives. Diwali thus becomes a refreshing and rejuvenating experience for many. Here’s a simple guide to performing Lakshmi puja at home. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Puja Preparations" comment="subhead" text="Puja Preparations">Puja Preparations</cmsannotation> Before the start of Lakshmi puja, clean your home thoroughly and decorate it. On the day of Lakshmi puja, take a bath, sprinkle Ganga Jal throughout your home and on the members of the household as a mark of purification ritual. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Set up the puja altar" comment="subhead" text="Set up the puja altar">Set up the puja altar</cmsannotation> Place a table or platform or a tripod stand and spread a red cloth over it. Place some grains in the center and draw a lotus in the center of the grains with turmeric powder. Place an image of Lakshmi, Ganesh and on the grains spread on the pedestal. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Install a Kalash" comment="subhead" text="Install a Kalash">Install a Kalash</cmsannotation> Fill a silver or copper pot with three fourths of water. Place some coins, betel nut, raisins, clove, dry fruits, and cardamom inside the pot. Place a bunch of mango leaves on the pot arranging the leaves in a circular fashion. Place a coconut on the pot to finish the set up. Place the kalash on the pedestal along with the idols and decorate it with sindhoor and flowers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Holy bath and puja to the idols" comment="subhead" text="Holy bath and puja to the idols">Holy bath and puja to the idols</cmsannotation> Give a holy bath to the idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh with pure water, panchamrit (fruit salad in honey), sandal water, rose water and pure water to complete the cycle. Decorate the idols with turmeric powder, sandal paste and sindhoor. Decorate the idols with flowers and garlands. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="79183505" title="Happy Dhanteras 2024 messages and wishes" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Puja and offerings" comment="subhead" text="Puja and offerings">Puja and offerings</cmsannotation> Light the lamp and incense sticks. Start the puja with Ganesh worship. Then worship Lakshmi. Chant the mantras for both the deities and place the offerings in front of the deities. Some of the important offerings for Lakshmi puja include badasha, laddoos, betel leaves and nuts, dry fruits, coconut, sweets, dishes made in the home kitchen, some coins and others. Offer flowers in front of the idols accompanied by the changing of mantras. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Read the story of Laxmi" comment="subhead" text="Read the story of Laxmi">Read the story of Laxmi</cmsannotation> Listening to the story of Lakshmi is an important part of the Lakshmi puja. Let an elderly member or an interested volunteer to read the story of Lakshmi. Others must listen to the story in rapt attention with devotion. At the end of the story session, let all the members offer flowers at the feet of the deities. The story teller will get a gift of a silver coin, sweets and some presents. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Conclude the Laxmi puja" comment="subhead" text="Conclude the Laxmi puja">Conclude the Laxmi puja</cmsannotation> Sing the arati song of goddess Lakshmi and wave the camphor light in front of the idols and kalash. Say the prayers for the prosperity and welfare of the home and pray for the world too. Circumambulate the altar and prostrate in front of the deities. Distribute the puja Prasad among the attendees. You can then enjoy a special meal with your family and guests by starting with the sweets obtained as Prasad. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/diwali-gifting-made-easy-best-tech-gifts-to-give-this-festive-season/articleshow/114507927.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Diwali gifting made easy – best tech gifts to give this festive season</a>

How to perform Lakshmi puja at home

Year on year, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains eagerly await Diwali. The whole world identifies Diwali as the most important festival of India. In fact, over the recent past, other countries have also started celebrating Diwali to admire their ties with India and Indian culture. Here are some interesting things you must know about Diwali before celebrating it. Diwali is a highly significant festival for the Hindus Diwali is described as the festival of lights marking prosperity and triumph of good over evil. Hence, Diwali holds a prime significance in Hindu religion with several dimensions to it including religious, spiritual, social, cultural and psychological. <keyword id="8251917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-festival-of-prosperity">The festival of prosperity</keyword> Honoring Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and inviting her to every home is the most important theme of Diwali. The array of lamps lighted on this occasion by every household is meant to invite Lakshmi into the house who brings with her wealth, goodness and development. Legends connected with Diwali Diwali reminds us of many mythological stories in Hinduism. Diwali marks the triumph of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasur. In Northern India, people celebrate the return of Sri Rama and Sita to the city of Ayodhya after defeating the mighty demon king. Kali puja is famous in Bengal during Diwali. Diwali is a pan India festival Perhaps no other festival is celebrated with such a great enthusiasm than Diwali all over India. The festival assumes different colors, flavors and styles across India. However, the spirit of Diwali brings all Indians together. In fact Indians living abroad celebrate Diwali in a grand manner in a way inspiring the global communities around them. Diwali and Jains Diwali is a significant festival for the Jains as Lord Mahavira, the last Tirtankar of the religion is said to have attained Nirvana on October 15, 527 BC on the fourteenth day (Chaturdashi) of the Kartika month. Diwali and Sikhs Sikhs celebrate Diwali as Bandi Chhor Divas as the history says that it was on the day of Diwali that Guru Har Gobind Ji freed himself and many Hindu Kings from the captivity of Jahangir, the Islamic ruler and reached the Golden Temple of Amritsar. In fact, it was on the day of Diwali in 1577 AD that the foundation stone was laid for the construction of the Golden Temple. Socio-religious festival Diwali is a socio-religious festival. Families come together to celebrate Diwali. Newly married couple visit their in-laws house and receive fabulous gifts and sumptuous treats. People spend luxuriously and dine merrily. New clothes, sweets, crackers and get-togethers make Diwali the most enjoyable festival. Diwali brings more business Businesses thrive during Diwali. People buy new clothes, utensils, jewels, vehicles, household items, furniture, sweets, groceries and others and hence every business is seen performing at its peak during the Diwali season. The economic activity across the country reaches the peak during Diwali. Diwali outside India While many countries are coming out to organize Diwali celebrations, the largest celebration of Diwali outside India happens in the city of Leicester in UK. The vibrant light shows, music and dance programs organized in this city are watched by thousands on this day on the streets. Public holiday on Diwali Diwali is the most important public holiday in India. Different countries have different versions of Diwali. In fact, Diwali is also a public holiday in many countries including Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Myanmar, Singapore, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia and Fiji.

10 things you should know about diwali festival

<ul><li>Delhi has one of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. </li><li>The city state's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, is asking Delhi citizens to celebrate a firecracker-free 'Community Diwali' this year. </li><li>The experiment will be hosted at Connaught Place from 26 October to 29 October in the evening. </li></ul>Delhi has one of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. In a new experiment for the city, Delhi's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal urged citizens to celebrate a 'Community Diwali' this year. "I wish the citizens of Delhi a very happy Diwali. During this auspicious festive season, the Delhi government is busy preparing Connaught Place for the celebrations and invites everyone to come celebrate with us," said Kejriwal. Just like people celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra and Durga Puja in Bengal, Kerjiwal asked citizens to leave their homes and celebrate Diwali with the rest of the city. "The aim of this experiment is have Delhi come together like a family and avoid bursting firecrackers," said Kejriwal in a press conference today. The 'Community Diwali' will be held at Connaught Place from 26 October to 29 October in the evening between 6:00 and 10:00 pm. And, instead of fireworks to light up the sky, the Delhi government is going to be putting up a laser show. "The show will light up the Connaught Place shopping area with its lasers and lights," explained Kejriwal. Even though one laser show is only an hour long, it will play on an hourly cycle. "I've been getting calls over the past few days asking for passes to the event… There are no passes, everyone in Delhi is invited to attend for free," said Kejriwal. Kejriwal urged Delhi-ites to help lower the city's air pollution that normally spikes during the festive season. In addition to the laser show, Kejriwal is also promising a bazaar, food court, and cultural shows to keep visitors entertained. This time around Delhi's 'Community Diwali' is restricted to Connaught Place but it may expand to many more locations next year, if the experiment is successful. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/society/news/delhi-odd-even-scheme-starting-4-november-to-beat-air-pollution/articleshow/71627738.cms">India's national capital is giving the ‘odd-even' scheme another go to battle air pollution</a>

With lasers, lights and food — Kejriwal plans a ‘Community Diwali’ for Delhi like Mumbai’s Ganesh Puja

<ul><li>Durga Puja in <keyword id="6357783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="west-bengal" source="Orion">West Bengal</keyword> is synonymous with fun, enthusiasm and power.</li><li>This year, brands celebrated <keyword id="445934" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maa-durga" source="Orion">Maa Durga</keyword>’s power, resilience by paying a tribute to Indian women.</li><li>Here are a few campaigns that caught our attention.</li></ul><keyword id="48284" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="navratri" source="Orion">Navratri</keyword> and Durga Puja is one of India’s widely celebrated festivals, especially in West Bengal. Millions of people visit Kolkata every year to attend the four-day festival which celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is that time of the year when every part of West Bengal is decked up, consumers are filled with optimism and joy. Pandal hopping, gorging on foods, <keyword id="3105575" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dhunuchi-naach" source="Orion">Dhunuchi Naach</keyword> (dance with the incense burner) are some of the inseparable moments associated with Durga Puja. This is when the entire local community and tourists come together and celebrate the festival with enthusiasm. Dussehra is followed by Kali Puja/Diwali/Laxmi Puja and Bhai Dooj. It is during Navratri and Diwali that consumers shop a lot and spruce up their houses to welcome Maa Durga. The purchase of household durables, cars, bikes, home renovations, capital expenditures in businesses also see a hike during this period. In keeping with the festive spirit, brands left no stone unturned to celebrate Maa Durga during the nine auspicious days of Navratri. Along with beautiful campaigns celebrating the goddess, we also came across a few brands that have come up with limited edition packaging to become a part of the festivities. Brands also use this opportunity to start a conversation around gender equality. They point out how the irony of celebrating <keyword id="87480" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nari-shakti" source="Orion">Nari Shakti</keyword> and female power for the nine days of Navratri is very stark. As the country bids adieu to Maa Durga tomorrow, for this year, we take a look at how the festival was celebrated in the brandverse. Here are a few campaigns that stood out: Elegant Steel <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Shoppers Stop <div type="Youtube" id="L_toOIXnuJI" title="Shera Sajer Shera Stop | Pujo 2021 | Shoppers Stop" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/L_toOIXnuJI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> ITC Aashirvaad <div type="Youtube" id="5lpFle-skcs" title="Eta Amar Maa" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5lpFle-skcs/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Joy Personal care <div type="Youtube" id="Z-Ixcs4WkL8" title="Pujo 2021 - Joy Beautiful by Nature | Mimi Chakraborty | Joy Personal Care" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z-Ixcs4WkL8/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Tata Tea Gold's new packaging <div type="Youtube" id="AjFo4axK7jg" title="Durga Pujo with Tata Tea Gold Special Edition Festive Packs" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AjFo4axK7jg/mqdefault.jpg"></div> 7UP <div type="Youtube" id="owe2SzTk1c0" title="7UP and Fido is here with some fresh dhak beats!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/owe2SzTk1c0/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

Navratri 2021: Here’s how brands celebrated the spirit of Navratri across India

<ul><li>While Durga Puja/Navratri is here, this year, the festivites are subdued.</li><li>Brands are therefore excercising caution in where and how much they spend in the next few days.</li><li>However, things are gradually improving and there are signs of recovery, experts tell us.</li></ul><keyword id="6357908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="durga-puja">Durga Puja</keyword> or <keyword id="48284" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="navratri">Navratri</keyword> is one of the biggest festivals in India and every year the festival is marked by marketers pouring in big monies during the nine days of festivity. Actually the festival is so big in states like West Bengal that streets of cities like Kolkata usually become one big advertising canvas. However, things are different this year. With coronavirus still going nowhere, people are cautious. While every year, the streets become adorned by ads and hoardings from brands from all kinds of industries, because this is the best way to grab people’s attentions, this year, even during the festival, advertisers have been cautious. For the ad and marketing industry which saw a huge dip in investments during the first few months of the lockdown, a lot of hope had been resting on the festive season. However, this year there will hardly be a celebration. Just yesterday, the Calcutta High Court also directed all Durga puja pandals in the state to be turned into 'no-entry zones'. Many pandals in the city are barring physical entry of devotees and making the entire experience virtual. Even in other cities, people are planning to give the festivities a skip. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the nation advised people to exercise caution while going out during the festival. So what does this mean for advertisers? Will they get a bang out of their buck if they advertiser this year? Explaining how things are going to be different this year, <keyword id="3364704" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sujata-Dwibedy">Sujata Dwibedy</keyword>, Group Trading Director, Amplifi India, dentsu international said, “Durga Puja in the east and Navratri in the west, are two of the grandest of all festivals, The festival marks the start of the auspicious period. Dussehra is followed by Kali Puja/Diwali/Laxmi Puja and Bhai Dooj. People shop a lot. The purchase of household durables, cars, bikes, home renovations, capital expenditures in businesses are seen in this period. A lot of business-led decisions are also made around this time. However, this year would be different as people would not step out like before, but they would be hooked on to the media to get a glimpse of the Goddess. So, the media/channel who can give them the best experience would score over the others.” Every year, categories like FMCG, apparel, auto, e-commerce and consumer durables become the biggest spenders during the festive season. But have these brands come ahead and advertised this year? <keyword id="8330648" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sidharth-Parashar">Sidharth Parashar</keyword>, President – Investments and Pricing, GroupM India said, “With demand picking up in Aug-Sep, key categories like Ecommerce, FMCG, Telecom, Durables, Auto and certain segments within BFSI are expected see increased ad spends this festive season. FMCG saw recovery in Jul-Sep quarter, driven by essentials like health-hygiene products and immunity boosting food products. Brands in these categories coupled with discretionary like skin &amp; personal care products are likely to see an uptick in consumer spending and therefore in ad spending too. Consumer durables and Retail are expected to benefit from the govt.’s LTC cash voucher and festival advance schemes, which would lead to increased spending from government employees on products like apparels, laptops, smart phones, consumer durables, home appliances, fitness, jewellery, beauty &amp; personal care during this festive. For Ecommerce sector, RedSeer estimates this festive to surpass a GMV of U$D 7Bn. driven by a surge in shoppers from Tier-II towns, considerable discounts available and financing options being easily accessible to consumers. Large players like Amazon and Flipkart are scaling up their supply chain vendors, fulfillment centres and higher manpower for delivery, in order to meet surge in demand and are spending heavily on TV, digital &amp; Print.” While people might give pandal-hopping a skip this year, they have also started spending money. At this point, people are on the lookout for a change, for something positive and this has led to a visible shift in consumer sentiments in the past few months, Dwivedy added, “We are seeing that market sentiments have improved over the past few months. A surge in online purchases has been witnessed through the various platforms. Indian consumers have started embracing the new normal, and consumption of products is back. There are multiple new categories of products, new convenience food products, health, hygiene-related – all have been accepted and are being tried out. In the last few days, the malls have also opened with new offerings from the shops. Many are offering home delivery, video selections and are even ready to send people home with multiple samples for trials. Home delivery of groceries, foods and other products is preferred. Implying that the emotions have revived, the consumption has begun, however, the mode of consumption is new.” This positive sentiment has led to a month-on-month increase in spends since July across categories. “TV has been almost at the same levels as the previous year. Print, on the other hand, is kind of catching up but it will still take some more time in top metros. Nevertheless, Tier II towns are tracking better. Radio has also picked up. OOH and Cinema that have been worst hit this year should see some relief in this quarter,” she explained. While Television has steadily been seeing an increase in ad spends over the past few months, mediums like Radio and OOH that had suffered a lot during the lockdown are hoping to see some recovery. These are both mediums that see a lot of spends during the festive season in normal years. So how are things this year? Abraham Thomas, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited said, “The festive season is considered the 5th quarter in India, an auspicious time, for businesses across industries, that contributes 40-45% of sales. Marketers certainly leverage this opportunity with ad volumes showcasing a significant surge. Clearly the most trusted and credible media, this lockdown has helped radio being reimagined amongst the audiences with the overall listenership of medium growing by 30%. The surge in listenership across different TG’s have driven ad volumes across Males, Females, the young and older targeted brands. We have witnessed a rise of 24% in Ad Volumes in week 33 with consistent growth in Ad volume from Aug’20 where average Ad volume surged by 4.8 times as compared to April. With the staggered unlocking of the economy, Radio with its ‘mass local reach’, trusted influencers and digital amplification have witnessed a sharp recovery with certain categories booming more than the others.” However, things aren’t all that great in the outdoor medium and Noomi Mehta, Chairman &amp; MD, Selvel One paints a not-so-rosy picture. He said, “Right now we are at 50% in terms of business when compared to a normal year, and if you compare puja-to-puja, we would be at less than 40% this year. It is true that people are venturing out now and there is an opportunity for brands but they are very cautious.” Every year, especially during Navratri/Durga Puja, brands from segments like FMCG, consumer durables etc go all out and make a lot of noise. “But this year, only those forced to advertise are advertising. For instance, auto brands that are launching new offerings are advertising and currently they are out top advertisers. Every year, we see financial institutes, paint companies, e-commerce platforms and apparel brands also invest in festive but that hasn’t happened this year,” he shared. Despite the fact that brands are cautious in spending, data points towards many cities almost coming to a state of normalcy. Shared <keyword id="2406965" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Atul-Shrivastava">Atul Shrivastava</keyword>, CEO, <keyword id="2911687" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Laqshya-Media-Group">Laqshya Media Group</keyword>, “As far as traffic on the roads is concerned, per data generated through SHARP, Laqshya’s traffic metrics platform, traffic in Kolkata is currently 89-92% of normal times and it is increasing every day. Long traffic jams are also back. So, we see that situation is coming back to normal, aided by the festive season.” However, Shrivastava had something positive to share. He pointed towards signs of recovery, even in terms of ad spends. “Even in the current situation, we are seeing brands in the jewellery, textiles, retail, garments, footwear and the automobile sectors spending their pent-up OOH budgets. FMCG brands are also advertising in OOH media, especially for sanitizing products. OTT platforms and entertainment channels are also investing in OOH media to promote new shows and programs. Hence, even if we do not see 100% spend by clients as compared to last year, current spends are around 60-65%.” On what the rest of the year will look like, Arnab Samanta, Head of Marketing, Graphixstory said, “With the nation gradually ‘unlocking’ itself and with IPL happening around the festive season, the markets are much positive of a revival in the second half of the year. Brands will be spending 1.5 times digitally more than the usual plan of action. The advertising spend will be increased, thoughtful engaging ad campaigns and tech innovations like augmented reality will be introduced to create massive engagement with the target audience. The higher ad spends for various brands will be distributed on a different mix of categories and channels compared to last year, depending on consumer trends and shopping pattern. Digital businesses will now make the way for a sharper trajectory.” While things have still not picked up as much as the ad industry had hoped, the number of new coronavirus infections dropped below 50,000 for the first time in nearly three months in India yesterday. So here’s hoping that things will keep getting better gradually and we will have a better and safer Diwali, one that also brings relief to the industry.

Durga Puja and Navratri is finally here, but are advertisers excited?

<keyword id="4067" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhanteras">Dhanteras</keyword> or Dhan Trayodashi is a very popular puja performed in a lot of households one or two days before the main Diwali celebrations. In fact, Dhanteras marks the beginning of the five day long Diwali festival. Also called as festival of wealth, the literal translation of the word Dhanteras consists of the words wealth (Dhan) and the thirteenth day (Trayodashi). Year on year, Dhantrayodashi falls in the month of Kartika on the thirteenth day of the Krishnapaksha (waning phase of moon). The other name of Dhanteras is Lakshmi Puja. 2019 Dhanteras timing This year, Dhanteras has to be celebrated on October 25, 2019. The most auspicious time for performing <keyword id="3788115" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhanteras-Puja">Dhanteras puja</keyword> on this day is Pradosh Kaal or the immediate two hours following the sunset. The best time for Dhanteras puja this year is from 05:38 pm to 08:13 pm. The essence of Dhanteras puja During the churning of the ocean by the gods and demons, Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the sea with a host of other treasures. It is said the emergence of Lakshmi happened on the dhantrayodashi and hence the Dhanteras puja is performed on this day. It is believed that Lakshmi puja performed on the day of Dhanteras will bring prosperity and wealth into the homes. This puja will invite auspiciousness, hope and wellness into the families. Dhanteras puja also marks a holy and happy beginning of the Diwali festivities over the next five days. Lighting of Yam Deep The most auspicious ritual performed on the day of Dhanteras is lighting of Yama Deep. Yama is the god of death. The legend behind Dhanteras says how a chaste woman saved the life of her husband from Yama on this day. The best place to light the Yama Deep is southwest. Lighting of Yama Deep is said to ward off evil and bring happiness, longevity and wellness inside the family. Shopping on Dhanteras People buy gold, silver, brass and copper utensils on the day of Dhanteras. Buying vehicles is recommended on Dhanteras, but since it is not advised to buy iron on this day, the billing must be done before the day of Dhanteras and delivery can be taken on this day. Things that must not be bought on Dhanteras include iron objects, sharp objects, and things in black. Dhanteras puja People perform Lakshmi puja and Kuber puja on the day of Dhanteras. Especially Dhanteras is very important for the business community for starting new ventures and new accounting procedures. On the day of Dhanteras, perform the puja in the Pradosh Kaal immediately after sunset during the right muhurat. Install the idols of Lakshmi, Kuber and Ganesh on a pedestal covered with red cloth. Install a Kalash or holy pot. The important offerings kept in the puja include gold and silver coins, badasha, peda, sweets, special dishes made at home, betel leaves and nuts, fruits and coconut. Perform holy bath for the idols, chant the mantras, make the offerings and conclude the puja with arati. Gift sweets and money to employees, visitors and the needy people.

Dhanteras puja time, date, all schedule you need to know

<keyword id="7308" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Don">Don</keyword>’t think this is one of those everyday articles you can ignore as click bait. This is actually authentic. 
 
Traveling can be expensive, but knowing the secrets of the trade can make all of the difference. 
 
As the festive season in India approaches with Durga Puja, Diwali and Christmas on the queue, you have already started looking for discounts, coupons and flash sales on airline tickets. If you are a backpacker or student, it’s not wise to splurge all your savings on flight tickets and feel bank robbed when traveling. 
 Earlier we have read a lot of similar stories saying Tuesday is the cheapest or the weekends are cheap. Those were super effective for international travel and mostly in Europe and the <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword>. However, that didn’t work for India. When we tried booking tickets on metro route midweek, we found the tickets to be super expensive. 
 
So to make things easier for you, Business Insider consulted with Skyscanner, the meta-search engine of travel. And what we found will greatly help you plan your travel. 
 
For domestic travelers flying in the metro routes or at least originating from a metro, the earlier you book a ticket, the cheaper you get. There is no magic of any particular day of the week in India. For domestic travelers, the biggest saving of 48% can be made gained if you book a flight 51 weeks in advance. 
 
Well, that might sound absurd but to be frank, if you are willing to save money, you need to plan your travel in advance. And those big trips you make with your friends can easily be made a year in advance to save on flights. As per the new rule, all tickets are refundable and so there is no need to panic. If booked 51 weeks in advance, you can dare to choose your travel during the festive seasons as well, when the ticket prices go skyrocketing. 
 Similarly, if you plan your international trip with <keyword id="3637582" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="schenegan">Schenegan</keyword> visa, again the best time to book your flight tickets in a year in advance, as per Skyscanner. If you book a year in advance, you can save up to 62% on average ticket price. 
 
Skyscanner’s annual survey has shown that in India, if you book even 16 weeks in advance you can gain almost 29% on an average. 
 
A word of caution for the people booking on last minute- you generally end up paying 5% above average fare.

​ For Indian travelers: here’s the best time to book a flight

<keyword id="4067" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhanteras" source="Orion">Dhanteras</keyword> marks the beginning of the five day Diwali festival. Celebrated one or two days before the major Diwali festival, Dhanteras falls on the thirteenth day of the waning phase of the lunar month in the month of Kartika. Dhanteras is a special occasion for the Hindu households and business communities as it carries a lot of material, religious and spiritual significance. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Dhanteras 2023" comment="subhead" text="Dhanteras 2023">Dhanteras 2023</cmsannotation> Goddess Lakshmi, the source of all wealth and prosperity is invited on Dhanteras with an elaborate puja. In some houses, small footsteps are drawn in vermilion in a row from the entrance to the puja room indicating that the goddess walks inside the household to bless the puja and fill the home with prosperity and auspiciousness. In the evening of Dhanteras, earthen lamps are lit at the entrance and the entire household in order to dispel the evil spirits and also get the blessings of Lord Yama. Business people celebrate Dhanteras with pujas to Lakshmi and Kuber, the god of wealth. People buy gold, silver and copperware on the day of Dhanteras as a mark of bringing good luck and prosperity to the household. Cows are also worshipped on this day in many regions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Do's for Dhanteras Puja" comment="subhead" text="Do's for Dhanteras Puja">Do's for Dhanteras Puja</cmsannotation> Perform Lakshmi puja on the day of Dhanteras without fail. The tradition says Lakshmi puja must be performed on the day of Dhanteras during Pradosh Kaal which means the two hours duration that immediately follows the sunset. Performing Lakshmi puja during this time can bring prosperity and good luck into the household. Dhanteras also known as Dhantrayodashi is the best day for buying gold. It is said the gold bought on this day will multiply in a lucky manner. The other items that you can buy on this day to bring auspiciousness and luck into the homes include copperware, silver and gold coins, silver idols of Lakshmi, Kuber and Ganesh. Cow worship and feeding the cows with jiggery and fodder on this day is considered to be highly auspicious. Dhanteras is the day when Lord Dhanvantri, the Lord of Medicine emerged from the ocean. Hence it is highly auspicious to buy medicines and donate them to poor people. Especially donating eye and ear drops to people on Dhanteras can bring good luck. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Don'ts for Dhanteras Puja" comment="subhead" text="Don'ts for Dhanteras Puja">Don'ts for Dhanteras Puja</cmsannotation> If you wish to enjoy good health and prosperity, avoid indulging in any kind of sexual activity on Dhanteras day. On the day of Dhantrayodashi, abstain from consuming liquor and non-vegetarian foods. Never speak ill of the people whom you do not like and exercise a good control over your tongue. Never inflict any kind of troubles on anybody during the course of Diwali festival and especially on the day of Dhantrayodashi. Do not give money to anyone on this day. Do not make any bill payments on Dhanteras. Avoid activities like paying back loans on this day or borrowing money from others. Symbolically this must be the day of receipts and not debits. On Dhanteras, do not buy items with sharp edges, leather items and items that are made of iron. Avoid buying black color things on Dhanteras.

The dos and don'ts rule during Dhanteras 2023 puja time and date

<ul><li>Snapdeal added 6 million new buyers on its platform during the pandemic.</li><li>Its recent 5-day sale kicked-off on October 16 and ended on October 20. </li><li>Rajnish Wahi, Senior Vice President, Snapdeal tells us some of the trends the platform saw during its pre-Diwali sale, its plan to go deeper into Bharat and USPs that helped it stand out in the clutter of online sales. </li></ul>Indian consumers have always been value-conscious, who take pride in their haggling skills and with the pandemic, buyers are expecting greater value for their spends. Therefore, e-commerce player Snapdeal’s sale, which took place between October 16 to 20, focused on offering ‘Kum Mein Dum Diwali,’ i.e., value deals for lesser money. According to Snapdeal, less than 5% percent of retail is online and during this on-going <keyword id="36208" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season">festive season</keyword>, the platform’s aim is to bring more users online and give them strong reasons to switch. Snapdeal observed that consumers weren’t willing to buy premium brands this year and wanted to access the online platforms in their regional language. So, as other e-commerce platforms offered premium brands at a discounted price, Snapdeal wanted to make online shopping more inclusive for buyers across India. It focused more on non-metro cities, which is a market with potential 400 million users and shipped orders to rural places like Palasner in Maharashtra, Abdasa in Gujarat, Kalsi in Uttarakhand, Chitkul in Himachal among many others. Ahead of the sale, Snapdeal added 1300 new pin codes to go deeper into Bharat, areas which were previously unserviceable or where users were compelled to travel to nearby towns to collect their orders. It also updated its user interface by adding eight languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Marathi. As a result, 70% of its orders were received by sellers located beyond the top 5 metropolitan areas of the country and 90% of its orders were placed from non-metro cities. We caught up with Rajnish Wahi, Senior Vice President, Snapdeal to further understand some of trends that the platform saw during its sale. Excerpts: Q. The role of engagement and communication has never been more important, especially in today’s digital-first world. How are you making sure your communication during this year's sale is relevant to consumers? Snapdeal is sharply focused on catering to the value-conscious consumers, who see e-commerce as the connecting link between their aspirations, access and affordability. Our theme for this year’s festive sale - “Kum Mein Dum Diwali '' clearly communicates our core message - your shopping rupee has more value this year. As part of our sale preparations, we had conducted a survey of nearly 1.25 Lakh users and one of the key insights was user unwillingness to pay for brand premiums this year and instead focus on the functional value of their purchases. Based on these inputs, the festive assortment was expanded in a focused manner by on-boarding additional sellers for popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed linen, apparel, footwear and fashion accessories like watches, wallets, etc. Shaping our sale offers around the clearly-stated expectations of our customers and conveying the same unambiguously through our festive promotions and digital marketing is the sum and substance of our festive communication. Q. This year is different. People have been observed to be judicious in spending. How has the consumer sentiment improved? While 2020 has been a volatile year, we see that there are many tailwinds that are propelling our business. The pandemic has resulted in redistribution of demand between offline and online channels, with online gaining share due to its inherent advantages of reach, convenience, large assortment and safety of buying from home. It has also accelerated the familiarity and acceptance of e-commerce amongst new buyers. With the pandemic, consumers have become more price conscious and are likely to opt for lesser-priced products, while not compromising on their quality expectations. Given all of this, we have seen two sets of buyers come on Snapdeal - one which is trading up to a better assortment and one that is trading down and opting for better functional value instead of big brands. In fact, we have added 6 million new buyers on our platform in the pandemic. We are witnessing the return of enthusiasm for festivities and it is also apparent that online channels will be a preferred medium for a larger number of buyers this year. But it will also be different this year, as more people will be price conscious and will look to spend on quality products that suit their price sensibilities. In a way, Snapdeal’s “Kum Me Dum” focus is about “offering more choices at price points better than last year”, especially for popular categories like home &amp; fashion, which has been made possible by year-long focus on expanding our value selection. Q. With the on-going festive season, many other platforms will have their Sales days too. How do you then cut the clutter and make sure you win consumers? How will you be different from the other players in the segment? Snapdeal is synonymous with value e-commerce. While others in the industry are now starting to build a value segment, we at Snapdeal have been focused on “only value” for the last three years. While other platforms are making efforts to sell branded items at discounted prices, these are still not affordable for a majority of the buyers in the country. On the other hand, we are focussed on bringing the depth and diversity of India's bazaars &amp; markets to the doorsteps of our users. On Snapdeal, buyers find endless varieties of regional and local brands that not only serve their needs, but also offer immense value at affordable prices. The result of our “Kum Mein Dum” Diwali sale bears testimony to this - more than 80% of Snapdeal’s Diwali shoppers chose to buy regional &amp; local brands on Snapdeal. The strong growth of lesser-known brands relative to national/international brands has been because of two key reasons: increased choice and a substantial price difference. Our value-focused positioning runs consistently through our selection and communication and is one the reasons why 90% of our orders flow from non-metros cities and towns across the country. Q. What are some of the other trends you are expecting to see this festive? Our first sales results are out and are reflective of how close the lives of users revolve around their homes. The sale in the home products category has grown by 30% over last year and has become the largest category on Snapdeal this year, overtaking the fashion category, which has traditionally been the top-performer at Snapdeal. The growth in the home category is propelled by popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed &amp; bath,decor,cleaning equipment, lighting and comforters &amp; blankets etc. This growth in the fitness category reflects the extra time that people have on their hands and also underscores heightened awareness about personal health &amp; fitness. This category has grown by 45% over last year led by gym essentials like tummy trimmers, push-up bars, wrist supports, fitness gloves, hand grip strengtheners etc. Users buying sports equipment like badminton racquets &amp; cricket sets and weighing machines are also strong consumer trends. While the fashion category has also grown from previous years in terms of shipped units, the growth is less than other higher-performing categories. In the fashion category, there is an increased spending on kidswear in the festive season. . Among popular picks in Snapdeal’s Diwali sale are men’s &amp; women’s grooming products, nutritional supplements, religious items (prayer books, temples accessories etc). With the deterioration of air quality in North India, the sale of N95 masks, air-purifier filters, anti-pollution skincare items, skin moisturisers, lip balms has also increased. Snapdeal also witnessed an increase in gifting via e-commerce early in this festive season. The range of festivals starting with Karva Chauth and followed by Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj and Chhath Puja have become important gifting occasions for users in various parts of the country. While in the previous years, shoppers used e-commerce channels to buy and ship to families &amp; friends in other cities, this year many shoppers in metro cities are also sending gifts to people living in the same cities. This year gift cards have also been hugely popular among people to send to their friends and family, with a 3X surge in orders as compared to the festive sale last year. These included gift cards of travel, entertainment, food and retail brands which were upto 30% off. Q. How are you working towards improving the overall consumer experience? E-Commerce in India has grown beyond the first 100 Mn largely urban, English-speaking users. A market of potentially 400 Mn users is now emerging across India’s smaller non-metro cities. This is a very diverse cohort in terms of languages spoken, literacy levels, frequency of online purchases and familiarity with technology. A large part of Snapdeal’s existing user base and new users come from this cohort and all our focus and efforts are on building the right experience that our users want. That means we work tirelessly to give them a wide array of products to choose from, and at just the right prices they are looking to spend. We also make it easy in many other ways for users to buy on Snapdeal. This includes providing interfaces on our app &amp; m-site in eight Indian languages, so that they can browse through products &amp; transact in a language of their choice. We also enable conversation with our customer service agents in multiple Indian languages. Transaction and promotional messages all are available in many Indian languages. Some other ways, in which we support our users to buy is by helping them make well-informed choices through short 10-second product videos which are far more captivating and help buyers to make decisions faster than static pictures of the products concerned, easy 7-days return, no questions asked refunds policy. We are the only platform that provides uninterrupted access to cash-on-delivery option even during the turbulent early days of pandemic lockdowns. Q. Which are your strongest markets currently? How are you planning to strengthen your presence in other markets? We have a strong pan India presence. During the current sale and consistent with Snapdeal’s positioning, more than 90% of Snapdeal’s orders were placed from non-metro cities. Populous cities like Nagpur, Vijayawada, Surat, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Patna, Guwahati and others continued to drive orders on Snapdeal, but smaller cities like Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Raniganj &amp; Durgapur (West Bengal), Patiala &amp; Gurdaspur (Punjab), Anand, Bharuch, Una, (Gujarat), Miryalaguda (Andhra Pradesh) and Bhimavaram (Telangana) also clock impressive order volumes. With our recent network expansion, Snapdeal has also shipped orders to rural places like Palasner in Maharashtra, Abdasa in Gujarat, Kalsi in Uttarakhand, Chitkul in Himachal amidst many others. Q. What are your current MAUs? More than 70 million users visit Snapdeal every month to browse and buy from our vast catalogue of 220 million plus listings. Q. What kind of target have you set for this year's sale? Do you anticipate people to buy more, considering a lot of people might have pushed buying things for the festive season? What kind of numbers do you aim to reach this year? Less than five percent of retail is online, which is an incredibly small penetration number. In our view, Diwali or not, our job to bring more buying options for our users doesn’t change. Diwali does serve as a milestone to accelerate some of our related initiatives or build virtual infrastructure to connect the dots between demand and supply in our country. This year, ahead of the festive season, we on-boarded additional sellers of popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed linen, apparel, footwear and fashion accessories like watches, wallets, etc., as indicated by our users in a survey. In the run-up to Diwali, Snapdeal also on-boarded 5000 manufacturer-sellers who sell products like water purifiers, choppers &amp; blenders, steel &amp; copper utensils, crockery items, bedsheets, quilts, geysers, etc directly from their manufacturing units. This year, we knew more and more people would be buying online and ahead of the sale, and expanded our network to add 1300 new pin codes to go deeper into areas which were previously unserviceable or where users were compelled to travel to nearby towns to collect their orders, reaching out to 50 million additional users. Today, we are India's leading value-focused marketplace with more than 500,000 registered sellers and we cover 27000 + pin code areas across the length and breadth of the country.

Why Snapdeal targeted non-metro cities and rural India during its pre-Diwali sale

<keyword id="4067" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhanteras" source="Orion">Dhanteras</keyword>, the thirteenth day of the waning phase of the <keyword id="7501472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lunar-month" source="Orion">lunar month</keyword> in the month of Kartika marks the beginning of the five day long Diwali festival. For quite a long time in the cultural and religious history of India, people strongly believe that doing and buying a few things on Dhanteras can open the gates to luck and prosperity. Here is a list of things to do and buy on Dhanteras to get lucky. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Auspicious things to do on Dhanteras" comment="subhead" text="Auspicious things to do on Dhanteras">Auspicious things to do on Dhanteras</cmsannotation> Dhanteras is good for starting any things that must grow progressively. You can start a new business or launch new projects on this day. This day is also a good one to start the constructions or renovations of homes and offices. During the Pradosh Kaal on Dhanteras that lasts for about two hours from sunset, it is good to perform Lakshmi Puja. This puja is extremely important for business community to invite luck and prosperity. Some people fast on the day of Dhanteras concluding it in the evening after Lakshmi puja. A ritual known as the lighting of Yamadeep is done on this day in the evening placing the lamp at the entrance of the house. This is said to keep the god of death away from the home. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What you can buy on Dhaneras 2023" comment="subhead" text="What you can buy on Dhaneras 2023">What you can buy on Dhaneras 2023</cmsannotation> - The beliefs associated with Dhanteras has fueled the shopping mania of people. Almost all businesses do extremely well on this day as people throng at the shops to buy a long list of things that are believed to bring them luck and prosperity. - Buy silver or brass utensils and keep them in the eastern direction of your home. - Buying a broomstick on this day is said to ward off the poverty from home. - This is also the best day to buy electronic items like refrigerator, electric oven, laptops and mobile phones. Such things need to be kept in the north-east direction of the home. - Business owners can buy account books on this day and start a new account. You can also buy the stationery and tools required for your profession. Place these account books and stationery items in the western direction of the house. It is auspicious to place these objects in worship on this day. - Buy 11 Gomti Chakras on Dhanteras, wrap them in a yellow cloth and place the bundle in a safety locker for inviting good luck. - One of the most auspicious items to buy on this day is a gold coin with the image of Goddess Lakshmi imprinted on it. This item can be worshipped on this day and kept in the safety locker or treasure chest. - Jewelry, silver coins, swastika symbol and cosmetic items are best bought on this day. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What you must not buy or do on Dhanteras" comment="subhead" text="What you must not buy or do on Dhanteras">What you must not buy or do on Dhanteras</cmsannotation> While many people suggest you the list of items you can buy on Dhanteras, there are a few items that you must never buy on this day if you do not want to fall into misfortune. Never buy sharp objects, iron items, stainless steel utensils (they have a big percentage of iron in them), black color things, glass objects, fake gold and oil. If you wish to buy a car on the day of Dhanteras, do not make the payment on this day. It is also not auspicious to give away gifts on this day. On the day of Dhanteras, do not make loan repayments or pay past bills. Never give or take any loans on this day.

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You Searched For "diwali puja for business" and got 15 results

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