India’s e-commerce market is not just witnessing higher number of orders, but also growing number of spends. Continuing with strong growth momentum, online order growth was pegged at 16 per cent year-on-year and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) grew by 18 per cent in the first five months of 2026, as per an analysis by Admitad, a partner marketing platform.
“The Average Order Value increased from $32 to $35. Moreover, there was a rise in the number of purchases made via mobile phones from 45 per cent to 49 per cent. Hence, almost half of all the orders on Indian online stores are made via a mobile phone,” it aded.
More than 71 per cent of all transactions in India were done through marketplaces, indicating the growing significance of multi-seller marketplaces as the favoured platform of choice for consumers. In terms of categories, fashion led the online orders with a share of 24 per cent, followed by home goods at 21 per cent and electronics at 16 per cent. Meanwhile, beauty & self-care and toys & hobbies accounted for 7 per cent, automobiles, parts & accessories 5 per cent and sports & entertainment’s share was about 4 per cent.
While travel category has been gaining ground in terms of online shopping, the online services sub-category, including online education, ticket services, mobile services and many others, accounted for more than 7 per cent of the total purchases during this time period.
“Three sectors have been the most successful so far in the first five months of 2026 in terms of year-over-year gains. The biggest increase was observed in mobile services, where sales rose by 35 per cent because of the increasing usage of smartphones and growing number of Indians who use mobile-first internet access. Furniture and home furnishings increased by 19 per cent, while online sales of electronics grew by 18 per cent,” a statement from Admitad added.
Online articles, videos, reviews and even comparative analysis accounted for more than 20 per cent of the total online purchases. Over 11 per cent of customers were made their buying decisions after being influenced by content creators or social media communities.
“Affiliate stores, which are websites that aggregate products and deals into curated feeds for shoppers, attracted 22 per cent of customers, making them one of the single most influential points of conversion in the purchase journey,” it added.