Festive fever goes long haul as India’s holiday season stretches nine weeks

MUMBAI: Turns out Diwali isn’t the full stop anymore, it’s just the comma. Appsflyer’s India Festive Report 2025, based on a hefty 20.5 million installs and over 576 million dollars in ad spend, reveals that the country’s high-stakes festive season has stretched from a week-long Diwali blitz into a nine-week marathon of consumer intent.

The numbers tell the story. Gaming apps saw post-Diwali install growth of 29 per cent, while Food and Drink apps climbed 16 per cent as celebratory cravings lingered. Travel on Android skyrocketed with a 40 per cent jump in remarketing spend, showing that the festive bug bit long after the firecrackers faded. Meanwhile, Ios Shopping apps logged a 20 per cent rise in session volumes post-Diwali, fuelled by extended discounts and gift redemptions.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Fraud rates ballooned: Food and Drink apps on Ios hit 60 per cent, a 176 per cent increase while Android Entertainment fraud climbed 74 per cent, exposing how loosened controls around gifting windows can make campaigns vulnerable.

Appsflyer GM for INSEA and ANZ Sanjay Trisal put it bluntly: “India’s festive season is no longer a one-week race to Diwali. It’s a sustained momentum period. To win, brands must pace budgets, double down on post-Diwali remarketing, and adapt strategies by platform.”

The report also flagged missed opportunities: gaming led install growth but saw little remarketing activity, limiting retention and monetisation. Shopping apps fared better, with the top ten increasing Share of Paying Users by 32 per cent year-on-year, powered by smoother checkouts and brand trust.

Meta’s Rishad Chindamada added that mobile is where the action is: “Full-funnel marketing, AI-driven optimisation, and channels like reels and business messaging can take brands from awareness to loyalty in this extended season.”

For marketers, the playbook is clear:

●   Reallocate remarketing to the post-Diwali window, when intent is high but competition thins.

●   Time strategies by platform Android for long-tail gains, Ios for sharp, front-loaded pushes.

●   Retain beyond Day 7 with reactivation flows between Days 10–14.

●   Harden fraud protection during peak gifting surges.

In short, the festive season is now less of a sprint, more of a Test match and those who play the long game stand to win big.