Buy Now Or Pay More Later: Amazon Says Great Indian Festival Sale Prices Are 2026’s Lowest for Electronics

With the festive season around, it's that time of year again. And, if Amazon India is to be believed, prices during the Great Indian Festival 2026 will be the best of the year for electronics, as memory and chip costs are expected to continue rising. Gadgets 360 spoke to Zeba Khan, Director, Consumer Electronics, Amazon India, ahead of the festive sale kick-off to get an idea of the trends the e-commerce giant is chasing this year.

Starting with the elephant in the room that has been a topic of constant discussion this year: rising prices.

Zeba described 2026 as an interesting year for the category, with memory and chip shortages pushing up cost prices. Customers are still upgrading "with a lot of intent", she said, but they are also researching more before they buy.

Still, she dropped a big hint, "The prices customers see during the Amazon Great Indian Festival 2026 will be the best prices of the year, because we know the memory and chip cost increases are going to continue," she said.

Amazon Great Indian Festival: Making upgrades affordable

With prices climbing, Amazon says affordability is the lever it is working on hardest. Shoppers can expect longer EMI tenures, more no-cost EMI options, and wider use of Amazon Pay Later, especially for customers without credit cards. Exchange offers, bank discounts and cashback will sit alongside these.

Zeba pointed to Prime Day as a guide. "One in four purchases across mobiles, TVs, electronics and large appliances were on EMI, and four out of five of those were on no-cost EMI," she said.

Zeba Khan, Director, Consumer Electronics, Amazon India

Talking about excitement around the upcoming Amazon sale, Zeba said that the company expects the sale to be busy. In its Best in Tech Survey conducted in July, half of smartphone owners said they plan to upgrade within three months. Zeba said many shoppers are holding off for the sale because they believe it will offer the best prices, and Amazon expects demand to peak in large appliances, laptops and phones.

"Bhopal Shops Like Bangalore"

Zeba said the gap between metros and smaller cities is closing. "Bhopal and Bangalore are shopping on the same day today," she said. Amazon says 18% of its new customers and 65% of its orders now come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and more than 70% of new Prime members come from non-metro cities.

Shoppers in these markets are also buying at the premium end, Zeba added. In smartphones, non-metros account for around 40% of value in recent months, and their share above Rs. 30,000 is trending upward. Even first-time buyers in categories like laptops and tablets are choosing premium devices directly, she said, rather than starting with an entry-level model and upgrading later.

AI Features Attract, Performance Decides

As expected, AI is the other theme Amazon is pushing this festive sale. Zeba said around one-third of laptops sold on Amazon are now AI-powered, up from about 5% two years ago, and she expects AI device purchases to peak during this year's sale.

She said customers still buy on performance. "They are drawn to the product by the AI features, which generate interest, but ultimately their choice is based on performance," Zeba further added. Some customers told Amazon they would switch brands based on how well a device's AI tools work, she added.

To help shoppers with complex specifications, Amazon is expanding tools such as Rufus, LensAI, Review Highlights and Smartchoice recommendations, which suggest products based on what the buyer needs.