Amazon and Flipkart Launch Flagship Festive Sales, Eye Record-Breaking Demand

India’s e-commerce giants, Amazon and Flipkart, have officially launched their much-awaited flagship festive sales — Amazon Great Indian Festival 2025 and Flipkart Big Billion Days 2025. With early access for premium members already live, both platforms are gearing up for what could become the biggest shopping season in India’s e-commerce history.

Early Access for Prime and Black Members

Both Amazon and Flipkart offered a 24-hour early access window to their loyal customers. Members of Flipkart Black and Amazon Prime could start shopping from September 22, giving them priority access to deals and discounts before the wider public sale.

This strategy not only builds exclusivity but also drives premium subscription adoption, a crucial lever for both companies.

GST Rate Cuts Boost Big-Ticket Purchases

The festive season coincides with the implementation of the new GST regime, which reduced taxes on big-ticket appliances like air-conditioners, televisions, and dishwashers from 28% to 18%.

This price cut is expected to make large appliances more affordable, fueling demand in categories that traditionally drive festive sales. Both Amazon and Flipkart are betting on this regulatory change to accelerate upgrades in middle-class households across India.

Flipkart Big Billion Days 2025: Aiming to Serve a Billion Shoppers

Flipkart kicked off the 12th edition of Big Billion Days with a celebration at its Bengaluru headquarters on September 21. CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy set an ambitious target, declaring Flipkart’s aim to serve a billion people this season.

The company projects:

• 250–300 million unique visitors during the BBD week.

• Over 350 million visitors across the festival season.

• Coverage of 19,500 pin codes across 4,500 towns and cities.

Backed by a 400,000-strong workforce across warehouses, fulfilment centres, and delivery networks, Flipkart has expanded its dual supply chain model. This includes Flipkart Minutes for express deliveries and 400 micro-fulfilment hubs for faster order processing.

Strong Demand from Tier-2 and Tier-3 Cities

Flipkart executives highlighted rising interest from Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, alongside Gen Z shoppers. New-age shopping trends such as live commerce, short-form video shopping, and influencer-led showcases are driving engagement.

To manage the surge, Flipkart has opened over 100 fulfilment centres and created 2.2 lakh seasonal jobs. Interestingly, 20% of the workforce in large facilities are now women, marking a significant milestone in inclusive hiring.

Amazon Great Indian Festival 2025: Expanding Reach and Financing Options

Amazon has also scaled its operations aggressively this festive season. The company added:

• 12 new fulfilment centres

• 6 sortation hubs

• Over 1.5 lakh seasonal job opportunities across 400 cities

Additionally, Amazon is expanding checkout financing solutions with Amazon Pay Later and other credit options, ensuring more shoppers can upgrade to premium categories like electronics and home appliances.

Record Sales Forecast for 2025

According to Datum Intelligence, India’s festive e-commerce sales in 2025 are projected to rise by 27%, reaching ₹1.2 lakh crore. This would mark a significant jump from:

• ₹1 lakh crore in 2024

• ₹81,000 crore in 2023

The surge is driven by:

• Pent-up demand from August

• The GST tax cuts on appliances

• The pull of early access sales

With these tailwinds, analysts believe this could be the strongest festive season yet for India’s $1.2 lakh crore e-commerce market.

Conclusion

The stage is set for a record-breaking festive sales season in India. With Flipkart betting big on scale and inclusivity, and Amazon focusing on financing and reach, both platforms are set to capture massive demand. Consumers, on the other hand, are in for a festive season packed with deals, affordability, and faster deliveries.