India's Wedding Season Business Set To Surge 41% To Rs 6 Lakh Crore This Year: Report

This year's season will feature 18 auspicious wedding dates, up from 11 last year, contributing to the anticipated surge in business. Delhi alone is expected to see Rs 1.5 lakh crore in business

The upcoming wedding season in India, from November 12 to December 16, is expected to generate nearly Rs 6 lakh crore in business from 48 lakh weddings. This marks a 41 per cent increase from the Rs 4.25 lakh crore generated last year from 35 lakh weddings, according to a study by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

This year's season will feature 18 auspicious wedding dates, up from 11 last year, contributing to the anticipated surge in business. Delhi alone is expected to see Rs 1.5 lakh crore in business from 4.5 lakh weddings, according to CAIT's estimates.

According to the report, the wedding spending breakdown for the upcoming season is as follows: 10 lakh weddings with an average expenditure of Rs 3 lakh each, 10 lakh weddings with Rs 6 lakh per wedding, 10 lakh weddings with Rs 10 lakh per wedding, 10 lakh weddings with Rs 15 lakh per wedding, 7 lakh weddings with Rs 25 lakh per wedding, and 50,000 weddings with Rs 50 lakh per wedding. Additionally, 50,000 weddings are expected to have a lavish spend of Rs 1 crore or more per wedding.

CAIT's Veda and Spiritual Committee convenor, Acharya Durgesh Tare, has identified the following auspicious dates for this season: November 12, 13, 17, 18, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, and December 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 16. After this period, the wedding season will take a break for about a month, resuming from mid-January through March 2025.

Speaking on the numbers, CAIT’s Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said, "The study has also highlighted a shift in consumer purchasing behaviour, with people increasingly opting for Indian products over foreign goods, reflecting the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Vocal for Local' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India) vision."

Khandelwal explained that wedding expenses are typically divided between goods and services. In terms of goods, the major expenditure categories include jewellery (15 per cent), clothing (10 per cent), electronics and appliances (5 per cent), dry fruits, sweets, and snacks (5 per cent), groceries and vegetables (5 per cent), gift items (4 per cent), and other goods (6 per cent). 

On the services side, expenses are primarily allocated to banquet halls, hotels, and venues (5 per cent), catering services (10 per cent), event management, tent and floral decorations, and transportation and cab services (3 per cent), with photography and videography accounting for 2 per cent. Additional services, such as music and lighting, make up the remaining portion of the budget.