Ganesh Chaturthi expected to bring Rs 25,000 crore business: Industry body

Ganesh Chaturthi is projected to generate Rs 25,000 crore this year, with businesses favouring domestic goods, and a push for eco-friendly clay idols

The ongoing Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which began on Saturday, is expected to generate a business worth Rs 25,000 crore, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said, sharing multiple media reports in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
 

Of this, the market for Ganesha idols alone is expected to exceed Rs 500 crore. Moreover, businesses are seen steering clear of Chinese products in favour of domestic goods in a bid to support the local economy.
 

With each year, there has been an increasing call for turning the festival eco-friendly, by using clay idols of the Hindu deity Ganesha instead of traditional Plaster of Paris (PoP) ones.

Swiggy, Zepto ride high on festive fervour

Capitalising on the festive excitement, quick commerce platforms like Zepto and Swiggy are also actively promoting various initiatives to boost their sales. On Sunday, Swiggy, which is gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO), drew attention by launching a ‘modak dispenser’ at Mumbai’s Carter Road. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Swiggy co-founder Phani Kishan A said that the dispenser has been dispensing over 4,000 modaks daily, drawing large crowds. Modak is a traditional Indian sweet, often associated with this festival.
 

Likewise, Zepto co-founder Aditya Palicha took to LinkedIn to share key shopping trends over the weekend, revealing that festival-related sales had significantly jumped this year. He said that modak sales on the platform had increased fivefold, while Ganesh idol sales had surged tenfold. Festival decor sales also saw a tenfold increase.
 

Palicha noted that Bengaluru led all cities, accounting for 25 per cent of all sweet orders. On Sunday alone, Zepto sold 1,500 modaks per hour. He also added that this year, the platform focused exclusively on eco-friendly Ganesh idols.
 

The use of PoP for Ganesh Chaturthi has been a significant concern for environmentalists as the chemical composition of the idols causes irreparable water pollution from being immersed in water bodies.