Indian consumers are entering the 2025 festive season with strong confidence, as 92 percent plan to maintain or increase spending this year, according to the JioStar Festive Sentiment Survey 2025. The findings point to a Rs.16,500 average shopping budget and reveal that 65 percent of buyers are yet to decide which brands they will choose, offering marketers significant scope for influence.

The annual study, aimed at decoding consumer mood and buying patterns, highlights a robust millennial spend base, a resurgence in gifting with nearly half of consumers shopping for others, and wider category exploration including fashion, beauty, wellness, home appliances, and mobiles. The survey also notes that men are set to spend more overall, while women will drive variety in purchases.

JioStar, which commands about 50 percent TV viewership during festive peaks, has paired the survey release with its most extensive seasonal programming slate under the #HarGharMeinJashn campaign. The line-up spans reality and fiction across multiple languages, marquee films such as ‘Chhaava’, ‘Kesari 2’, ‘Empuraan’ and ‘Thudaram’, as well as global titles like ‘Thunderbolts’ and ‘A Minecraft Movie’. Large-scale live digital events for Janmashtami, Navratri, and Dussehra will also be part of the celebrations.

Mahesh Shetty, Head of Revenue – Entertainment, JioStar, said the combination of consumer optimism and diverse media consumption offers brands a “high-impact funnel” across discovery, intent, and purchase touchpoints.

The survey also reports that 76 percent of consumers cite online ads as their top source of product information, 52 percent plan to shop online, and 61 pervent prefer cashless transactions led by UPI and mobile wallets. JioStar aims to leverage this digital-first approach with sharper ad solutions, including AI-powered influencer tools, contextual storytelling formats, and dynamic, real-time ad placements.

With high spending intent and undecided brand choices, the 2025 festive season presents a fertile ground for advertisers to connect meaningfully — and JioStar is positioning itself as the go-to platform to do just that.