India Inc hands out an austerity parcel to employees this festive season

With contactless exchanges becoming the new normal, companies are preferring e-gifting options.

In a normal year, a glut of gifts at corporate offices signal the festive build-up to Diwali. From carefully curated hampers to single malt scotch, gold coins, fine chocolate, luxury watches, even mini golf putting and poker chip sets that cost upwards of ~15,000 – corporate gifting is an exercise for which brainstorming and budgeting begins months before Diwali. But with India Inc continuing to work from home, this year’s gifting has taken an austere turn.

Into the last week before Diwali, clients haven't sent any customary gift, an executive at a media investment firm in Gurugram said. He said an