Festive season trends point to rebound in demand, especially for consumer durables: ICRA

25 Nov 2025 Evaluate

Domestic rating agency ICRA in its latest report has said that festive season trends point to a rebound in demand, especially for consumer durables, as Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate cuts have eased the tax burden for consumers. However, it said sustaining the same will depend on broader economic conditions and industry-specific dynamics in the quarters ahead. 

ICRA said since its rollout in 2017, GST has undergone several rate adjustments, culminating in a major restructuring in September 2025. The 'GST 2.0', rolled out from September 22, 2025 has brought in substantial rate cuts across a wide range of goods and services. It said this overhaul aims to make consumer prices more affordable, reduce operational costs for businesses, and stimulate demand across sectors such as essentials, housing materials, automobiles, and services and improving affordability across key sectors. Boosted by stocking ahead of the GST-rationalisation fueled demand during the festive season, the expansion in manufacturing output accelerated in September 2025, with the production of consumer durables undergoing a prominent sequential and YoY uptick.

It further said the combination of GST rate rationalisation, pent-up demand and the early festive onset appears to have boosted demand in September-October 2025, which is expected to augur well for the growth in manufacturing output in October 2025 as well. While the GST rationalisation may support demand for regular use/small-ticket items after the festive season, the sustenance of the buoyancy in demand for big-ticket items remains to be seen.

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