Banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have announced festive-season offers on shopping, digital gold and loans, while a consumer survey indicates that plans to shop do not always translate into purchases.
The offers range from discounts and cashback to gold rewards and benefits on select loans, with eligibility varying by scheme.
AU Small Finance Bank’s ‘Heart to Cart Shopping Festival’, running from October 11 to November 10, offers eligible cardholders discounts across travel, electronics, dining, groceries and entertainment.
The announced benefits include discounts of up to ₹10,000 on select travel bookings and ₹7,500 on eligible electronics purchases. Additional offers are available through its mobile app on select UPI transactions, bill payments and other services.
BharatPe’s ‘Tyohar BharatPe Gold Offer’, running from October 11 to November 10, provides an additional 5% in digital gold on eligible one-time purchases above ₹100. New gold systematic investment plans (SIPs) qualify after seven successful transactions during the campaign. Customers making eligible gold transactions above ₹10,000 can also enter a leaderboard contest with a total prize pool of ₹20 lakh.
HDB Financial Services is offering one eligible customer nationwide a 1-gram gold coin daily under its ‘Khushiyo ka Season’ campaign, which runs from October 9 to November 8 for this offer. It applies to select personal, business, property-backed and enterprise business loans.
The lender is also offering movie-ticket vouchers to eligible gold-loan customers, along with other benefits such as cashback at participating electronics dealerships and application-fee waivers on eligible loans against property.
Mahindra Finance’s ‘Shubh Utsav 2026’ campaign, which began on October 5 and runs for two months, covers car, tractor, pre-owned car, commercial vehicle and personal loans. Its offers include a 100% loan discount for select car and tractor loan customers, zero-interest vehicle-loan benefits and gold coins on eligible loans, subject to the applicable terms.
A separate survey commissioned by Paragon Footwear and conducted by PulseAI Research examined festive footwear preferences among 2,000 Indian shoppers. Nearly nine in 10 respondents with high intent to buy footwear planned to shop during the festive season, while 46.2% were likely to purchase footwear, according to the study.
It examined factors including comfort, value, versatility and style.
Festive-season purchases can also include homes and other high-value assets.
Mahendra Nagaraj, managing director of M5 Mahendra Group, said property enquiries and site visits typically rise during the festive period. He said buyers continue to evaluate location, construction quality, amenities and long-term liveability. In Bengaluru, he identified established infrastructure and IT employment in South Bengaluru, and airport proximity and developing employment hubs in North Bengaluru, as factors influencing buyer interest.
For consumers, the key consideration is the actual cost of a purchase or loan, rather than the advertised reward alone. Discounts may come with spending thresholds and exclusions, while loan-linked benefits need to be assessed alongside interest, fees and repayment obligations.
Buyers considering digital gold should also account for price fluctuations and applicable costs.
Consumers should check the eligibility criteria, offer validity, reward conditions and total cost before making a purchase or taking a loan.