Corporates turn to Durga Puja for high-impact consumer engagement, blends culture with commerce

Durga Puja has evolved into one of India’s most powerful consumer moments, prompting corporates across categories to treat West Bengal’s grand carnival as both a cultural celebration and a high-impact marketing platform.

From staples, tea, and personal care to fashion, footwear, lighting, and even technology, brands are blending tradition with innovation to win visibility and forge long-term consumer bonds.

With festive footfalls running into millions and discretionary spending peaking, companies are rolling out on-ground activations, themed campaigns, and product launches, using the Puja season not merely for immediate sales but to deepen emotional connect with consumers in Bengal and beyond, experts said.

This season, personal care brand ’Joy” by RSH Global has emerged as a frontrunner in building festive excitement.

”Festive activities are central to brand-building as they allow us to engage when consumer sentiment is at its peak,” Poulomi Roy, CMO, Joy Personal Care told PTI.

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Adding glamour and regional pride to the festive calendar, Myntra Jabong India Pvt Ltd (MJIPL) has launched Souragya, a premium ethnic wear label co-created with cricketing icon Sourav Ganguly ahead of Durga Puja.

The brand seeks to bring West Bengal-inspired designs and silhouettes to a national audience, Roy added.

”Sourav’s vision of authentic Bengal-inspired fashion has been the cornerstone of this collaboration,” a Myntra spokesperson said, noting that the launch marks Ganguly’s foray into the fashion world.

If fashion and personal care are appealing to lifestyle aspirations, Emami Agrotech has chosen devotion as its creative lever to launch its atta (wheat flour) brand as it forays into staples ahead of festival.

It's striking Atta Durga initiative, designed to mark the entry of Emami Healthy and Tasty into India’s branded staples market, features an idol of Maa Durga sculpted from its fresh chakki atta.

”We wanted to create a symbol that represents nourishment, purity, and tradition — the very qualities our atta stands for,” said Vibhash Agarwal, director, Emami Group.

Tata Tea, for its brand Tata Tea Gold, has turned to Bengal’s vibrant artistic traditions with its Banglar Shilpi Shojjito Pujo campaign.

The brand has unveiled limited-edition packs designed by five Bengali artists, each portraying rituals from Shashti to Dashami in diverse mediums.

At the Kolkata launch, the packs were accompanied by live art demonstrations and an AI-driven television commercial portraying Pujo as a living painting.

”Each design is a tribute to the art, traditions, and emotions that define Durga Puja,” said Puneet Das, president – packaged beverages, India & South Asia, Tata Consumer Products.

Meanwhile, AWL Agri Business Ltd’s Fortune Foods is banking on scale. Its activities cover over 1.3 lakh sq. ft. across Kolkata, with branding at 60 major pujas in the city and 30,000+ sq. ft. in districts.

Speaking to PTI, Mukesh Mishra, joint president of sales and marketing, said the festival ”offers a chance to be part of traditions and celebrations,” with staples like rice, atta, besan, and edible oils woven into ’bhog’ and rituals.

Legacy brand Eveready Industries India Ltd is spotlighting its century-old role in households.

”Festivals embody light, power and shared experiences—the very needs our portfolio fulfils,” said CEO Anirban Banerjee, adding that the company’s batteries, flashlights and lighting solutions aim to keep celebrations ”shining bright.” Bata India, meanwhile, is blending nostalgia with consumer incentives this puja with new branding and styles.

”Our new collection features actors Neel Bhattacharya and Darshana Banik. Puja mane ’hata’ (walking), ’aar hata mane Bata’! West Bengal has always been close to our hearts,” said Badri Beriwal, chief strategy and business development officer.

The company has extended its price promise campaign, passing on GST benefits directly with 7% savings on footwear under ₹1,000 soon after the GST cut was announced and before official implementation on September 22.

Industry watchers say Durga Puja’s mix of massive crowds, cultural symbolism and heightened spending makes it one of the most important events in the marketing calendar.

For corporates, the festival provides a rare convergence of emotional resonance and commercial opportunity, allowing brands to embed themselves in both everyday life and festive rituals.

Analysts said brands are focusing on harnessing Durga Puja in West Bengal not for immediate returns but to build long-term consumer connect, with players ranging from regional labels to large national names taking to the streets aggressively.

From skincare activations in housing complexes to ethnic fashion backed by Sourav Ganguly, from atta sculpted into a goddess to tea packs turned into canvases, corporates are ensuring their brands are not just visible but meaningfully present in Bengal’s grandest carnival.

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