Corporate Gifting Etiquette in India

When to send

• Diwali — the default festive gift across most of corporate India (Sunday, 8 November in 2026). Arrive 3–7 days before, not on the day.
• New Year — for clients who don't celebrate Diwali, or when the Diwali inbox is crowded.
• A deal close or go-live — small, immediate and remembered.
• The client's anniversary or a milestone they announced.
• Onboarding a new client — a small welcome gift in the first month does more than a big Diwali gift in year three.

What lands well

• Useful over flashy: good drinkware, a desk piece, a bag they will carry.
• Food hampers are the safe universal gift — vegetarian, no alcohol unless you know the recipient.
• Something shareable for a client team: a hamper opened in the office is seen by ten people.
• Regional or handmade pieces with a line about where they came from.
• A handwritten note with the recipient's name. It is the part that gets kept.

What to avoid

• Alcohol, unless you know for certain it is welcome.
• Leather goods for recipients who may object on religious grounds.
• Religious iconography that doesn't match the recipient.
• Perishables sent by courier over long distances.
• Anything so expensive it embarrasses, or so branded it reads as advertising.
• A gift with an ask attached. Send the gift; make the ask another day.

Gift policies: the rule you can't see

Many companies cap the value of gifts their employees may accept — ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 is common, and some banks and multinationals prohibit gifts entirely. Government and public-sector officials are covered by conduct rules with low thresholds and reporting requirements. When in doubt, ask the client's procurement team, or send something shareable to the office rather than a personal gift to an individual, and keep the invoice as your paper trail.

Presentation and delivery

• Send to the office address unless the recipient has invited you to do otherwise.
• Put the sender's name and company on the label and the card; a logo alone is anonymous.
• Use tracked delivery and confirm receipt — a gift that never arrived is worse than none.
• For multiple client addresses, share the list with your enquiry and delivery is quoted per destination.

The follow-up

A short message after delivery — "hope the hamper reached you well" — closes the loop. Nothing more. The gift has already done its work.