Chennai: Raksha Bandhan used to mean a thread on the wrist and a box of mithai. In 2026, it means gold coin rakhis, smartwatches, and a Gurgaon cart worth ₹14,630. Instamart’s Rakhi Trends 2026 shows rakhi orders grew nearly 300% year-on-year and the way India is gifting using quick commerce has changed just as fast. The festive rush peaked on August 28 at exactly 12:01 PM, when last-minute shoppers flooded the app to trigger 857 rakhis ordered per minute.
Chocolates and mithai were up by 30% respectively, compared to the week before Rakhi, but the real story is what’s riding alongside them. Gift hampers are up 85% week-on-week, smartwatches nearly doubled at 99%, and premium designer rakhis grew 130%, proof that the humble thread has gone upscale for some users. In the days leading up to Raksha Bandhan, Hyderabad led rakhi orders, followed by Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Gurgaon, Noida, Kolkata, Lucknow, Chennai, Bhubaneshwar and Vizag.
From Thread to Treasure
Precious metals dominated consumer preferences this year. Silver and gold-plated designs led overall demand, driven by convertible rakhi-to-pendant pieces, alongside 925 sterling silver Trishul and Surya motifs. Demand for Lumba rakhis, traditionally gifted to sisters-in-law also spiked, with Swarovski-studded variants taking two of the top three spots in the sub-category.
The Extraordinary Orders
- The most dedicated sibling of the season? A Bengaluru user who placed rakhi week’s very first order at 00:00:11 on August 21, a Ganesha with Beads Rakhi, ordered the second when the clock struck midnight.
- The Ultimate Sibling Network: A single Mumbai shopper ordered a whopping 118 rakhis in a single cart on August 27
- The High-Value Purist: Bengaluru logged the highest-value rakhi-only order of the week, with one buyer purchasing five 24KT gold coin rakhis totaling ₹10,995.
- The Sterling Collector: A Gurgaon user ordered 20 premium silver rakhis in one order, totaling
₹10,780.
- The Eclectic Array: Broadening the spectrum, a Hyderabad shopper bagged 109 distinct threads, ranging from Batman kids’ bands to Swarovski lumbas and traditional Rudrakshas for ₹9,790.
- The Ultimate Rakhi Hamper: Securing the title for largest overall gift basket, a Gurgaon buyer assembled a ₹14,630 mega-cart featuring gold coin rakhis, luxury skincare, artisanal chocolates, and plush toys.
The shift toward higher-end gifting aligns directly with Switch, Instamart’s platform-wide proposition aimed at elevating product quality and choice. Switch makes premium, cleaner, and differentiated non-food and food items seamlessly accessible to consumers seeking better quality across festive and everyday purchases.
About Instamart
Launched in August 2020, Instamart is a quick-commerce platform in India, present in 131+ cities. Instamart uses technology and a dedicated delivery network to bring groceries, daily essentials and an expanding range of products to consumers’ doorsteps.
*All insights are derived from an analysis of Instamart orders placed between August 21–28, 2026. All metrics are indexed or relative; no absolute order volumes are disclosed except where noted as human-interest stories.
