Non-metro markets accounted for around 73% of Rakhi orders, while seller participation rose 72% year-on-year, highlighting the growing role of smaller towns and local businesses in festive ecommerce
Meesho recorded around 36 per cent year-on-year growth in orders during the Rakhi 2026 shopping cycle, while gross merchandise value (GMV) increased by approximately 38 per cent, as consumers across smaller towns and cities drove festive demand on the e-commerce platform.
According to Meesho, non-metro markets accounted for around 73 per cent of all Rakhi orders this year, underlining the growing contribution of smaller towns to India’s festive e-commerce economy. The fastest growth was recorded across Tier 3 and Tier 4 markets.
Dadri in Uttar Pradesh emerged as the fastest-growing market, recording around 105 per cent year-on-year growth in Rakhi orders. It was followed by Nabarangapur in Odisha, Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh, Dhamtari and Nainpur in Madhya Pradesh.
The trend points to the increasing penetration of e-commerce beyond India’s largest urban centres, with consumers in smaller towns becoming a significant driver of seasonal online purchases.
Prepaid Orders Gain Traction
Payment preferences also shifted towards prepaid transactions during the festive period. Around 58 per cent of Rakhi orders on Meesho were placed through prepaid payment modes, which the company said reflected growing customer confidence in online shopping.
The Rakhi season also attracted more businesses and entrepreneurs to the platform. The number of sellers offering Rakhi-related products increased by around 72 per cent year-on-year, according to Meesho.
The rise in seller participation highlights the role of festive occasions in enabling small businesses to expand their product catalogues and reach consumers across geographies without relying solely on physical retail networks.
Traditional Rakhis Remain Popular
While ecommerce is enabling new formats and personalised gifting options, traditional Rakhi products continued to dominate consumer demand.
The season’s best-selling product on Meesho was a bracelet-style Rakhi set bundled with greeting cards, combining the traditional thread with an accompanying gifting element.
At the same time, consumers showed growing interest in personalised products. Personalised Name Rakhis witnessed a sharp increase in demand, indicating a greater preference for customised gifting and products designed specifically for individual recipients.
Smaller Towns Strengthen Their Role In Festive Commerce
The Rakhi 2026 shopping season highlighted the changing geography of India’s e-commerce market, with non-metro consumers accounting for the majority of orders on Meesho.
The combination of rising order volumes, increased prepaid adoption and a substantial increase in seller participation points to the expanding role of smaller cities and towns in India’s festive consumption cycle.
For sellers, the festival also provided an opportunity to broaden their catalogues and reach new customers, while consumers gained access to a wider selection of traditional, personalised and gifting products.
Meesho said the Rakhi season reinforced its role in connecting consumers and entrepreneurs across Bharat to ecommerce, particularly in markets beyond India’s largest cities.
The company describes itself as a multi-sided technology platform connecting consumers, sellers, logistics partners and content creators. It says it is India’s largest e-commerce platform by annual transacting users and placed orders, and that its technology and AI-led systems are designed to support small businesses and individuals seeking to build and grow their online operations.
