Gold, iPhones and noodles: What India bought on Instamart in 2025

From ₹10 printouts to ₹4.3 lakh smartphone splurges, Instamart's 2025 order data shows how quick commerce has become a routine part of everyday life across India

From milk to smartphones and gold, Indian consumers relied heavily on Instamart in 2025, making it a central platform for both daily essentials and big-ticket purchases, according to the fifth edition of the platform’s annual order analysis, ‘How India Instamarted 2025’.

 

Early-morning pantry restocks, festival gifts, and strong demand from Tier-II cities fuelled the growth, signalling that convenience shopping has moved beyond emergency top-ups to become a routine part of life.

 

Instamart orders in 2025 ranged from a ₹10 printout in Bengaluru to ₹4.3 lakh spent on iPhones in Hyderabad, marking the largest single cart of the year.

 

Across repeat orders this year, the top spender of 2025 spent over ₹22 lakh on Instamart, adding everything to cart, from 22 iPhone 17s, 24K gold coins, a Philips air fryer, and even everyday items such as Tic Tacs, milk, eggs, ice cream, and fresh fruits.

 

In 2025, India purchased more than four packets of milk per second through Instamart. Paneer outsold cheese by more than 50 per cent, while butter remained a staple for breakfast. Masala-flavoured chips were the most ordered snack late at night in nine of the top ten cities.

 

Large orders highlighted the platform’s range.

 

In Hyderabad, a customer spent ₹4.3 lakh on three iPhone 17s, while a Noida buyer spent ₹2.69 lakh on Bluetooth speakers, SSDs, and robotic vacuums. During Diwali, Bengaluru shoppers added a 1-kilogram silver brick valued at ₹1.97 lakh to their carts. On Dhanteras, gold orders grew more than 400 per cent compared with 2024.

 

Repeat purchases showed consistent demand for essentials.

 

Curry leaves, dahi, eggs, milk, and bananas dominated orders. Several customers placed more than 1,000 orders over the year. Most orders were placed between 7am and 11am, and again between 4pm and 7 pm.

 

Delivery times were short. A pack of Maggi noodles reached a customer in Lucknow in under two minutes, and smartphones were delivered in three minutes in Pune and Ahmedabad.

 

One in every 127 orders included a condom, with a 24 per cent increase in September.

 

Bengaluru and Chennai also recorded high tipping amounts. A Bengaluru local dropped over ₹68,000 in tips and a Chennai user contributed nearly ₹60,000

 

Tier-II cities drove growth, including Rajkot (10x), Ludhiana (7x), and Bhubaneswar (4x) year-over-year. Health and wellness products saw increased demand in Bhopal, Varanasi, Ludhiana, and Warangal.

 

Orders for roses and gift items spiked during festivals. Valentine’s Day, Raksha Bandhan, and Friendship Day recorded the highest order volumes. Bodycare and grooming gift sets peaked at specific times during the day, reflecting daily ordering patterns.

 

Large individual purchases included ₹4.36 lakh on noodles in Bengaluru, ₹16.3 lakh on Red Bull Sugar Free in Mumbai, and ₹15.16 lakh on gold in Mumbai. Other notable orders included ₹2.41 lakh on pet supplies in Chennai and ₹2.8 lakh on protein items in Noida. The smallest order was a ₹10 printout in Bengaluru.

 

Protein products were the most purchased category, with bars, shakes, and yogurts leading sales.

 

Korean food products grew significantly, including a 491 per cent rise in gochujang sauce orders in Bangalore. Tea remained the preferred beverage, outselling coffee across the top ten cities.

 

Instamart’s Quick India Movement sale saved shoppers approximately ₹500 crore, the firm claimed.

 

First-time buyers from Tier-II and Tier-III cities accounted for one-third of all orders. The fastest phone deliveries occurred in Pune and Ahmedabad within three to 3.5 minutes.

 

In 2025, Instamart’s data reflects a growing integration of quick-commerce into daily life across both metropolitan and smaller Indian cities.