Corporate gifting: Gold and silver play second fiddle to tech this Diwali

Companies have moved from the traditional coins, idols and mithai towards futuristic gizmos devices and personalised items. Work out your tax liability if you receive an expensive item or cash

A prominent corporate gift dealer made a revealing statement when he talked about the diminishing number of orders for silver and gold items this season. While silverware and gold coins topped the demand charts between 2012 and 2015, tech products such as Alexa, Google Homes, Amazon Echo, fire stick, bluetooth speakers, power banks, soundboards and audio products have taken over this year.

"Idol gifting also seems to be losing favour, as we have not received inquiries this festive season," says a spchanokesperson from The Style Salad, a Chennai-based gift curator. People are moving away from overt religious expressions, as new-age