As India approaches its 2026 festive sale season, experts warn that the loudest discounts often mask the true lowest prices. Mint’s detailed analysis uncovers the nuances of pricing strategies employed by Amazon and Flipkart, advising consumers to scrutinise deals carefully and prepare early for genuine savings.
For anyone waiting for India’s 2026 festive sale season, the most useful lesson from the past few years is that the loudest discount is often not the cheapest price. Mint’s tracking of the 2025 Amazon and Flipkart events found a patchwork rather than a universal markdown: some popular gadgets genuinely fell, some barely moved and a handful were actually dearer than they had been before the banners went live. That matters because these events are built to make every listing look urgent, even when the saving is ordinary.
Mint’s test was simple and revealing. It recorded pre-sale prices on 13 September 2025 and checked them again when the two events opened on 23 September. On Amazon, the iPhone 16 128GB was promoted from an MRP of Rs 79,900, even though Apple’s official price was Rs 69,900; the sale price of Rs 69,499 therefore meant a real saving of only Rs 500. At the same time, Flipkart was cutting some iPhone 16 models by nearly Rs 15,000, while Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra fell by as much as Rs 25,000 on both platforms before the 512GB version disappeared in the members-only early window.
The reason shoppers keep returning is scale. Moneycontrol reported that Amazon’s Great Indian Festival and Flipkart’s Big Billion Days both opened on 23 September 2025, with Prime, Plus and Black members getting access from 22 September. Citing Datum Intelligence, it said festive e-commerce sales were expected to reach Rs 1.2 lakh crore in 2025, up from nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in 2024 and Rs 81,000 crore in 2023. The same report said the two flagship events alone typically account for nearly a quarter of the companies’ annual sales, which helps explain why the pricing theatre is so intense.
That intensity also means the list price is only a starting point. The Economic Times reported that in 2023 Amazon even shifted its sale start to 8 October from 10 October to line up with Flipkart, underscoring how closely the two platforms shadow each other. In that year’s offers, Amazon tied a 10% instant discount to SBI cards, offered credit of up to Rs 1 lakh through Amazon Pay Later and 5% unlimited cashback on the Amazon Pay ICICI card. Flipkart countered with 10% instant discounts via Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank, along with Flipkart Pay Later credit up to Rs 1 lakh and 5% cashback on the Flipkart Axis Bank card. A shopper comparing only the sticker price would have missed much of the real difference.
Pre-sale mechanics can be just as important as the main event. Gadgets 360 noted that customers in 2023 could get in early through Amazon’s Kickstarter deals and Flipkart’s “Sale Price Live” promotions, alongside extra exchange discounts on both sites. Business Today reported that Flipkart repeated the early-access play in 2024, giving Plus members a 24-hour head start from 26 September and pairing the sale with HDFC Bank discounts. The practical point is straightforward: activate online card transactions beforehand, watch teaser prices as closely as live-sale prices and do not assume the best-stocked variant will survive until general access.
Category matters too. Hindustan Times’ preview of the 2025 sales highlighted expected cuts on devices such as the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro Max, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 and S24 FE, Motorola’s Edge 60 Pro and products including the PlayStation 5 and MacBook M2. Business Today had made similar noise a year earlier around the iPhone 15 family, the Galaxy S23, the Pixel 9, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and a clutch of Nothing accessories. Yet Mint’s after-the-fact check found a less glamorous pattern outside the hero products: some refrigerators, washing machines and televisions were only marginally cheaper, and some wireless headphones had moved by just a few hundred rupees.
That is why teaser lists and launch announcements should be treated as advertising, not evidence. Hindustan Times said the 2025 sales would also carry fresh launches such as the OnePlus 13 series, the iQOO 13 line-up and Vivo V60 handsets, which can make a new product look heavily discounted when much of the appeal is really an introductory bundle, EMI plan or bank rebate. Even the bank partners shift from year to year: Flipkart’s 2024 tie-up centred on HDFC, while earlier seasons featured Axis, Kotak and ICICI, and Amazon’s recurring SBI offers sat alongside its own credit and cashback tools. The “best” platform can therefore depend less on brand loyalty than on which card, exchange device and financing option a buyer has in hand.
None of this means the festive sales are fake. Some prices do hit genuine lows, and the rivalry is real enough that senior executives openly frame it as a national commercial event. Business Today quoted Flipkart chief executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy describing The Big Billion Days as “not just a shopping event at Flipkart”. For shoppers, however, the winning strategy is much less grand: build a shortlist early, track the item’s price over weeks rather than hours, total every layer of discount and be prepared to walk away. In India’s sale season, the smartest purchase is usually made by the person who distrusts the badge first.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
