Festive shopping to change as robots happy to help

India's festive shopping season is set to transform this year, thanks to the rise of AI-powered shopping assistants, as reported by InMobi. A survey reveals that four out of five shoppers are eager to employ AI tools to aid their holiday purchases, while three out of five shoppers intend to spend over ₹10,000 on festive items. Contrary to popular belief, it's not the younger generation that leads in AI-assisted shopping; instead, millennials show a 10 percentage point higher enthusiasm for AI-based recommendations for festive looks and products.

AI-led brand discovery and decision-making are gaining significant traction as consumers increasingly rely on smart search suggestions and virtual product try-ons.

According to findings presented at the NIQ Insight Summit India 2026, 92% of surveyed urban Indian shoppers have utilized at least one AI tool while shopping in the past month. A festive sentiment survey by Reliance's JioStar predicts that the average festive transaction size may increase by 46%, from ₹16,500 to ₹24,020 per shopper.

The Middle East conflict has not deterred India's growth prospects, and shoppers are opening their wallets amidst rising wealth. The festive season is expected to further boost India's consumption demand, with shoppers' eagerness to let robots assist in their shopping decisions already being capitalized on by top online retailers.

Flipkart, Bigbasket, Ajio, and Firstcry are developing their own AI storefronts, while Myntra offers AI-assisted shopping features like Maya. Today's festive shoppers seek hyper-relevant, frictionless discovery across various platforms, including smart TVs, lock screens, and everyday apps. For marketers, this shift requires moving beyond high-volume advertising to create AI-powered experiences that are useful in the moment, build brand trust, and help consumers seamlessly progress from discovery to decision, stated Pavitra Gupta, Vice President & General Manager - India, InMobi.