Last year, flagship phones showed a 10%-20% discount. This often includes exchange bonuses and bank discounts. Mid-range phones were 20%-35% off. These saw significant price drops, making them a popular choice. On budget phones, there was 30%-40% off or more.

• Home & Kitchen Appliances: Many equipment that can make your house a better home like air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators often get cut down by up to 40-50%.

Last year, there was a significant discount on various electronics. Laptops had a  40% off, with additional bank offers. Gaming laptops and slim ultrabooks saw some of the biggest discounts. Smartwatches & Wearables showed a surprising 50%-70% off. Headphones & Earbuds received a 60%-80% off on brands like boAt, Noise and others. Tablets came for up to 50% off.

• Fashion & Beauty: There is no festival in India without a humongous cutdown across various products from the fashion aisle. Last year saw categories rocket up to 80% off. Clothing & Footwear had a 50%-80% off, with additional coupons and buy-more-save-more offers. Beauty Products were up to 70% off.
• Groceries & Essentials: 40–60% discounts and bulk-buy advantages come as an attractive addition to any homeowner, a potential chance to stock up. Home & Kitchen equipment has shown a 50%-80% off on cookware, home decor and tools. Books & Toys: Up to 70% off.
• Furniture & Décor: Attractive combo financing options stacked with festive pricing. In 2024, LED/Smart TVs were available at a 40%-70% off. 4K and larger screen TVs saw the most competitive pricing. Refrigerators & Washing Machines: 35%-50% off, along with offers on installation and delivery. Small Kitchen Appliances: 60%-80% off.

This is one of the hot times when new launches also coincide with the event. 

Meaning? You’ll likely see newer models of smartphones, headphones, laptops and even smart home devices at surprisingly low prices. That mix of saving and discovering is what keeps buyers tuning in each year.

Credit Card Offers That Are Worth It

It has been an increasingly popular trend over the past few years, as more and more discounts are available for select credit card users. For seasoned sales-watchers, ‘Which credit cards work best?’  is a smart question. In previous editions:

• SBI credit and debit cards delivered 10% instant discounts across categories.
• The Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card enabled 5% unlimited cashback. That means an ongoing year-round sweet deal, but extra impactful during festive bursts.
• Other banks, including HDFC, Axis and IDFC FIRST, rolled out festival tie-ups that gave sliced-off totals at checkout.

Pairing the right card with the right category deal can mean subtle savings multiplying into significant budget wins.

BNPL – What You Need to Know

The Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) feature is gaining serious traction among festive spenders who don’t want to compromise choice for short-term budget limits. Amazon typically extends help in these areas with options like No Cost EMI, zero-down payment and flexible repayment windows across high-ticket categories. 

Amazon so far support several BNPL options as listed below:

Amazon Pay Later: This is Amazon’s in-house BNPL service, which provides instant credit to eligible users, allowing them to pay for their purchases later in a single lump sum or convert them into EMIs. This was a core feature throughout the sale.

Bajaj Finserv Insta EMI Card: This was a major partner for both Amazon and Flipkart. The card allows customers to convert their high-value purchases into No Cost EMIs. It was heavily promoted, especially for electronics, large appliances and expensive gadgets.

BNPL services like LazyPay and Simpl were also available on many e-commerce platforms. These services offer a short, interest-free credit period (e.g., 15 days) and were popular for smaller, day-to-day purchases.

What to Expect in 2025

For this year’s Great Indian Festival, you can expect the BNPL landscape to be even more prominent and integrated. For items like electronics, this can stretch affordability without straining savings. With the RBI’s new digital lending guidelines, BNPL services are under stricter scrutiny. That means more transparency in the terms and conditions, especially regarding late payment fees and interest charges on long-term EMIs.

In short, festive shopping can feel more like an opportunity than a liability. 

Flipkart Big Billion Days vs Amazon Great Indian Festival

This festive face-off is now a growing tradition. 

The Amazon Great Indian Festival and Flipkart Big Billion Days offer parallel excitement and a wider range of options for many, but with slight differences:

• Flipkart shines on mobiles and flash sales. It compresses its event, creating urgency, while bringing out the best discounts across the crowd’s favourite electronics. 
• Amazon spreads deals across more days, allowing shoppers to plan purchases without panic pressure.
• Category spread vs exclusivity: Flipkart corners certain exclusives (especially smartphones), while Amazon diversifies beyond gadgets.
• Convenience and ecosystem take a strong step with Amazon Prime for faster deliveries, bundled OTT perks and smoother returns.

How to Shop Smart and Stay Ahead

If you’re aiming to win big, strategy matters as much as timing. Build a wishlist now, align payments and enable tools like price alerts. Strike early for high-demand categories, yet don’t hesitate to recheck mid-sale for surprise launches.

If big-ticket buys feel slightly weighty, planning ahead with financing checks is wise. Exploring subtle options like Buddy Loan eligibility reviews beforehand can ensure you don’t stall mid-cart while everyone else checks out.

Final Take

The Amazon Great Indian Festival is not just another discount drive. 

To be completely honest, it’s a layered opportunity for the alert shoppers, where dates, categories, payment methods and even FinTech planning converge into real savings. Whether you’re planning to dive into Flipkart or are focused on an Amazon spree, the real winners prepare and choose wisely.

Festivals come every year, but opportunities to shop smarter don’t knock twice.