Diwali

Datanomics: Most 2026 mishaps occurred at firecracker units, not on Diwali

The number of firework accidents increased from 110 in 2015 to 238 in 2018, before remaining volatile during and after the Covid-19 period

Tata Steel to Hindalco: Brokerages' Diwali picks for Samvat 2083

November rally has brought a festive glow to equities. Brokerages identify their potential winners for Samvat 2083

Smartphone volumes slumped this Diwali season amid a surge in prices

Smartphone sales volumes fell 18-20% during Diwali 2026 despite a late festive-season recovery, as consumers postponed purchases and demand remained weak across much of the country.

UPI volume jumps 32% on Diwali driven by last-minute festival buying

Transactions through the popular Unified Payments Interface (UPI) witnessed a 32 per cent surge in volume terms on Diwali driven by last-minute festival buying. UPI volume increased to 916.9 million on November 8 from 695.7 million transactions on the same day last year, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). In value terms, UPI transactions rose to Rs 90,029.43 crore on November 8 against Rs 88,350.79 crore last year. A day prior to Diwali, the transaction volume was 975.8 million resulting in transfer of Rs 1,36,118 crore. UPI is an instant payment system developed by the NPCI. NPCI, an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA), is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India. Last month, UPI transactions touched 25.47 billion while in value terms it was 31.53 lakh crore in entire October supported by festival buying. As far as overseas presence is ...

Diwali shopping expands beyond essentials as fashion, gifting gain ground

Quick-commerce platforms report rising demand for festive decor, fashion and gifting, while higher-value purchases and growing non-metro orders signal broader consumer spending

Bank holiday today: Are banks open or closed on November 9? Check details

SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and other lenders will observe regional holidays for Diwali and related festivities; check the city-wise list, when branches will reopen and which services remain available

Chennai deploys 600 workers, 350 vehicles for firecracker waste collection

The GCC has announced special arrangements for the separate collection and safe disposal of firecracker waste across the city during Deepavali to ensure a clean and safe festive season. Under the direction of Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G S Sameeran, the Solid Waste Management Department has launched a citywide drive to clear public spaces, roads and stormwater drains of firecracker debris, Corporation sources said on Sunday. As part of the initiative, the civic body has deployed 600 personnel and 350 vehicles and distributed 30,000 designated collection bags, each with a capacity of 50 kg, to conservancy workers. Residents and administrators of residential complexes, classified as bulk waste generators, have been urged to segregate firecracker waste from regular household garbage, including biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, and hand it over separately to conservancy workers. The Corporation has also intensified cleaning operations, deploying mechanical sweepe

Delhi air remains very poor on Diwali, several stations record severe AQI

Delhi recorded an overall AQI of 383 at 8 am on Diwali, with several monitoring stations reporting readings above 400. Grap Stage 3 curbs are in force across Delhi-NCR amid worsening air quality

Deepotsav 2026: 3 million diyas illuminate Saryu banks in Ayodhya

Ayodhya's Deepotsav 2026 saw over 3 million diyas illuminate the Saryu ghats, with CM Yogi Adityanath and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan attending the celebrations

Diwali rush: No seats, packed trains as thousands leave Gurugram for home

A massive rush of people heading home for Diwali led to severe overcrowding at Gurugram's railway and metro stations on Saturday, with packed trains, long queues at bus terminals and many passengers turning to informal transport to reach their destinations. Trains bound for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal were so overcrowded that there was no standing room available, according to an official. Passengers faced significant challenges boarding the general compartments, with many even squeezing into sleeper coaches. In their desperation to get home, some passengers resorted to travelling while hanging onto the carriage doors. The situation sometimes escalated to physical altercations among passengers, the official added. Throughout the day, teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force conducted security checks on the platforms and worked to manage the crowds. Four trains passed through Gurugram on Saturday, heading toward Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, an

D2C brands see 27% more orders ahead of Diwali; sales value up 45%: Report

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands in India shipped 27 per cent more orders a day in the run-up to Diwali this year than in the same period last year, while the value of goods sold jumped about 45 per cent, according to a report. ClickPost, an AI logistics automation and post-purchase platform for D2C and retail, analysed more than 8 crore orders placed on the websites of nearly 400 D2C brands. It compared the festive shopping windows of September 20 to November 5 this year and September 1 to October 17 last year. According to ClickPost's report, gross merchandise value (GMV), the total value of goods sold, grew about 1.7 times faster than the number of orders. The report said this was because shoppers bought higher-priced products despite rising retail prices, rather than looking for cheaper alternatives. Spending was concentrated in high-value categories such as luxury fashion, skincare, wellness and jewellery, it said. Despite the higher volumes, deliveries became more reliable. .

Delhi records 369 AQI on Diwali eve; readings in several areas cross 400

Delhi's AQI at 369 was in the 'very poor' category on Saturday as smog enveloped the city on the eve of Diwali and reduced visibility. The air quality is forecast to turn 'severe' on Sunday, with Diwali celebrations, vehicular emissions and the peak stubble-burning season expected to add to the pollution burden. Of the 59 monitoring stations that recorded data on Saturday, air quality remained in the 'severe' category for 16, while for 29, it was in the 'very poor' category. The worst AQI was recorded near IIT Delhi at 452. The city's average AQI improved slightly from 382 on Friday to 369 on Saturday, remaining close to the 'severe' threshold of 400. Several monitoring stations have already breached this mark, indicating a deterioration in air quality across the capital city. According to the Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, the air quality is likely to remain in the 'severe' category on November 8 and 9. The outlook for the subsequent six days indicates that the

PM Modi extends Diwali wishes, says will celebrate festival with soldiers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conveyed his Diwali greetings to the nation, saying that, like in previous years, he will celebrate the festival with the brave soldiers of the country. In a video message posted on his social media handles, Modi said he will celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm. He also said the whole country was being illuminated with lights on the eve of Deepavali, and added that it reflects the country's resolve against darkness. "My heartiest greetings to all of you for Diwali. I wish for peace, prosperity and happiness for all of you in the coming days. I also celebrate Deepavali like you with great enthusiasm," he said. The prime minister said he has been celebrating Diwali with the brave soldiers of the country every year. "This time also, I will continue the tradition," he said, adding, "Have a great Diwali". He, however, did not disclose at which military station or post he will celebrate the festival. Earlier, in a message posted on the

Diwali 2026 bank holidays: How many days will banks be closed next week?

Dhanteras marks the beginning of the 5-days of Diwali. Meanwhile in banks, customers are advised to check their local holiday calendar before heading to their bank branch in Diwali days

Street basks in Diwali glow: Benchmark indices post best week in 6 years

Rupee shines across Asia; Brent sinks most in a week since Covid

Vice-President Radhakrishnan to be chief guest at Ayodhya Deepotsav

Ayodhya is preparing for a record diya-lighting event on Saturday, with foreign tourists and cultural troupes arriving as officials step up security and crowd management measures.

OTT releases this week: New movies and shows to watch this Diwali weekend

Diwali weekend brings a new line of films and shows on OTT platforms, with releases spanning Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and international titles. Here's what to watch this festive season

Diwali AI photo prompts: How to create the best realistic festive images

Create realistic Diwali photos using AI prompts. These photo prompts can help you create festive images without arranging a photoshoot. Here's how to use prompts to generate the best Diwali pictures

Burst green crackers, stick to fixed hours: Delhi govt appeals to citizens

Ahead of Diwali, the Delhi government has appealed to the public to comply with the Supreme Court's directions on the sale and use of certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during a limited window around the festival. The district magistrate (East) said in an order, "Bursting of green firecrackers will be permitted only on November 7 and 8, between 6 am and 7 am, and 8 pm and 10 pm. Bursting firecrackers outside these prescribed timings is strictly prohibited." The order follows an administrative meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma on Thursday. Firecrackers are strictly prohibited within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and other notified silence zones, the order said. "Only CSIR-NEERI-certified green firecrackers, as listed on the CSIR-NEERI website, shall be permitted for sale. All boxes must be properly sealed and bear valid product and batch-specific QR codes," it said. According to the order

Bulls eye! Sensex seen at 87,000, Nifty at 27,000 by next Diwali: Experts

Analysts expect Sensex and Nifty to reach new highs in Samvat 2083 on the back of comfort in valuations and earnings-led growth.