Year in Review: What Companies Gifted in 2025-26 and What Comes Next

Updated September 2026.

What did companies actually gift most in 2025-26?

Three categories stood out across our orders this year: desk-tech combos (wireless chargers, speaker-clock combinations, power bank diaries), artisanal recognition pieces (Meenakari keepsakes, brass showpieces), and tiered Diwali hampers built around one craft centrepiece. What dropped was demand for single-item generic merchandise — plain branded pens or basic mugs with nothing else — which used to be a default and increasingly reads as an afterthought to buyers.

Which specific products moved the most this year?

Here's what we saw repeat across client orders throughout the year.

Bamboo Wireless Charger with Organiser₹750 · MOQ 50 branded Desk Lamp with Wireless Charger₹1,650 · MOQ 50 branded Kalangi Samman Meenakari Keepsake₹2,999 Deepam Brass Oil Lamp Set₹1,999

Why did artisanal and Dharohar pieces grow this year?

I think it comes down to differentiation. Once every company's gifting budget can buy roughly the same power bank or bottle from roughly the same supplier catalogue, the gift stops signalling anything. An artisanal piece — made by one of our 4,000+ partner artisan families across 25+ states — is much harder to source generically, so it still reads as a deliberate choice. We saw this most clearly in client and leadership gifting, where the budget was already there; the question was just what to spend it on.

How did Diwali hamper structure change in 2025?

More companies formalised tiering — splitting client lists into relationship, strategic and top-account bands with different hampers — rather than sending one hamper to everyone. I wrote about this shift in detail separately, but the short version is that tiering let companies protect budget for their most important relationships without cutting everyone else out entirely.

What went out of favour this year?

Single-item branded merchandise with no supporting story — plain pens, basic keychains, generic mugs on their own. We still sell these, but almost always as a support item inside a larger set now, not as the whole gift. Plastic-heavy items also softened as more companies asked specifically for bamboo, steel or natural-material alternatives.

What am I expecting for 2026-27?

Three predictions, based on what I'm already seeing in early conversations for the next cycle.

1. Budgets stay flat or grow slightly, but shift toward fewer, better-chosen pieces per recipient rather than wider, thinner distribution.
2. More companies will ask AI assistants for a vendor shortlist before contacting anyone directly — see our note on that shift.
3. Tiered gifting programmes, currently common for Diwali, start extending to other occasions like onboarding and recognition.

Which trend matters most for your gifting plan?

Answer this and I'll point you to what to prioritise.

What's your budget outlook for next year?

Use the calculator to see what a comparable spend buys under 2026-27 pricing.

Does any of this change the tax and GST picture for 2026-27?

No, the underlying rules haven't changed: employee gifts up to ₹5,000 per person per financial year remain exempt as a perquisite under Income-tax Rule 3(7)(iv), above that it's taxable to the employee, and GST input credit on gifts stays blocked under Section 17(5)(h) of the CGST Act. What's changed is how companies allocate within those rules — more toward fewer, higher-value gifts per person rather than many low-value ones. Confirm your specific position with your CA.