In the past year, over 6 million shoppers turned to Flipkart for their ethnic fashion needs — and nearly 9 out of 10 of them came back for more. The surge in repeat purchases highlights not just customer satisfaction but a broader shift: ethnic wear is no longer limited to festivals and weddings; it’s becoming part of the everyday wardrobe across India.

Young adults, especially those aged between 25 and 35, make up the largest slice of this growing audience. And the demand isn’t confined to one region. Whether it’s the streets of Bengaluru or the lanes of Guwahati, daily ethnic wear is finding a strong foothold. Cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna, Lucknow, Chennai, Pune, and Mumbai are also fueling this trend.

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What’s also interesting is who’s buying what. Women drive 65% of purchases in the women’s ethnic category, while men are behind a whopping 88% of sales in men’s ethnic wear. The appeal of ethnic fashion is growing rapidly in India’s heartland too — smaller towns and Tier 3 cities now account for more than half of all ethnic wear shoppers on the platform.

“Ethnic clothing has become a bridge between local culture and digital convenience,” said Kunal Gupta, Vice President at Flipkart Fashion. “We’re seeing an incredible wave of new shoppers from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where there’s deep cultural affinity for traditional wear, combined with rising comfort with online shopping.”

People are shopping for ethnic wear not just for big occasions, but also for everyday use — whether it’s work, college, casual outings, or smaller celebrations. Sales tend to spike during India’s festive months (August to November) and around wedding seasons (November to February, and again in April and May).

Artisan-focused labels like Konark, Shishir, and Wreetika are making waves alongside well-known national names such as Libas, Indo Era, Janasya, and Mirchi Fashion — showing that tradition and trend can thrive together on a modern platform.

Kurta sets are the current favorites, making up 42% of ethnic fashion sales on Flipkart, followed by sarees at 24%, and kurtis holding steady at 18%.

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Since its founding in 2007, Flipkart has built a registered user base of over 500 million and today offers more than 150 million products across 80 categories. With over 1.4 million sellers now active — including many on its Shopsy platform — Flipkart continues to be a leading force in how India shops, blends tradition with convenience, and redefines everyday fashion.

De Beers is setting its sights firmly on India, with expectations that the country’s appetite for diamond jewellery could double by the end of the decade. Al Cook, the global CEO of De Beers Group, shared that India has overtaken China to become the second-largest market for natural diamond jewellery — a major milestone for the company.

“We’ve seen double-digit growth year after year,” Cook said during a media briefing. “Right now, India’s demand for natural diamond jewellery is just under $10 billion, and it’s rising at about 12% annually. At this pace, we believe it will more than double by 2030.”

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To keep pace with this growth, De Beers is rolling out its Forevermark brand across India. The company is kicking off with four new stores—two in Delhi and two in Mumbai—over the coming months. But that’s just the start. Cook outlined an ambitious plan to grow the footprint to more than 100 stores across the country within five years.

Amit Pratihari, De Beers India’s Managing Director, explained the company’s strategy: “We’re not just opening stores for the sake of scale. This is a focused expansion. We’ll take a cluster-based approach—fully develop one market before moving on to the next. And while we’re doing that, we’re also going digital with an e-commerce platform launching alongside our physical stores.”

The expansion plan includes both company-owned and franchise-operated outlets, not only in major metros but also in emerging Tier II and Tier III cities where there’s a growing aspirational class of buyers.

While De Beers is doubling down on natural diamonds, it’s pulling back from lab-grown ones. Cook confirmed the company’s decision to shut down its Lightbox lab-grown diamond jewellery line, citing a strategic pivot.

“We believe the real future of lab-grown diamonds lies in technology and industry, not jewellery,” he said. De Beers’ subsidiary Element Six will focus on advanced applications like semiconductors and data centers—areas where India is investing heavily in its tech infrastructure. “We see a real opportunity to collaborate and contribute meaningfully to India’s digital ambitions.”

On pricing, Cook noted that the cost of lab-grown diamonds has nosedived, with wholesale prices in the jewellery segment plunging by about 90%. “There’s a growing awareness among consumers that natural and lab-grown diamonds are not the same,” he added. “Tools like Diamond Proof are helping bust the myth that you can’t tell the difference.”

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With India becoming a central player in De Beers’ global strategy, Cook also touched on marketing. “Our 2025 marketing budget for natural diamonds will be the highest we’ve committed in the past 10 years,” he revealed.

On the topic of global trade, particularly in light of new U.S. tariffs, Cook was optimistic. “There are no natural diamond mines in the U.S., just like there’s no gold production. That’s why we believe natural diamonds will be exempt from these tariffs, as they’ve done with other non-domestic resources.”

With India emerging as a diamond powerhouse, De Beers is clearly not just watching the market—they’re moving fast to shape it.