Amazon and Flipkart festive sales to kick off on September 23, a day after GST rate cuts

Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon will launch their flagship festive season sales on 23 September, just a day after sweeping reforms to India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime take effect. The timing positions both platforms to capitalise on a surge in spending during the most crucial shopping period of the year.

Banners on the respective apps confirmed the launch of Flipkart’s Big Billion Days (BBD) and Amazon’s Great Indian Festival (GIF) sales. Early access will begin on 22 September for Flipkart Plus and Black members, as well as for Amazon Prime subscribers, giving loyal customers a 24-hour head start.

The GST Council recently approved a major overhaul of India’s indirect tax framework, scrapping the 12 per cent and 28 per cent brackets and consolidating them into two slabs of 5 per cent and 18 per cent. Effective from 22 September, the GST on big-ticket appliances such as air-conditioners, televisions, dishwashers, monitors, projectors and set-top boxes will be reduced from 28 per cent to 18 per cent.

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The move is expected to boost affordability, drive consumption in high-value categories and provide sellers with long-awaited predictability in the run-up to the festive rush. Both Amazon and Flipkart welcomed the decision earlier this week, with company executives noting that a simplified and predictable tax framework offers much-needed clarity for platforms and their merchant partners.

For the e-commerce majors, these flagship sales alone typically contribute nearly a quarter of annual turnover. With the GST changes in place, analysts believe the platforms are now positioned to deliver sharper execution and maximise momentum across categories, particularly in premium appliances and electronics, as per a report by Moneycontrol.

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Industry experts also point out that many big-ticket purchases were delayed in August as consumers awaited the GST reset. The reductions are therefore likely to unlock pent-up demand in categories such as televisions, air conditioners and large home appliances.

According to a report by Datum Intelligence, festive season sales in 2025 could rise as much as 27 per cent year-on-year to ₹1.2 lakh crore — up from nearly ₹1 lakh crore in 2024 and ₹81,000 crore in 2023. Without GST clarity, the firm had previously projected growth at only 5–7 per cent.

With the stage now set, Amazon and Flipkart are expected to intensify their festive marketing campaigns, step up bank tie-ups, and deploy aggressive discounting strategies to capture early demand. Offering early access from 22 September also ensures both platforms can compete directly with offline retailers, who are expected to roll out promotional offers as soon as the new GST rates take effect.

Together, the synchronised GST reset and the launch of BBD and GIF are set to frame one of the most competitive and high-stakes festive seasons in recent memory, with India’s two largest e-commerce platforms looking to secure a head start in what is traditionally the busiest shopping period of the year.