A client receives Diwali gifts from many suppliers. Your hamper sits on the same desk as five others. A dealer compares your gift with gifts from every brand they stock. The gift you send tells them how much you value the relationship.

This guide covers what to send clients and dealers for Diwali 2026, how to brand it, and the rules your accounts team needs to follow.

Client Gifts: Stand Out on a Crowded Desk

Clients receive a lot of mithai and generic hampers. Three things make yours the one they carry home:

• Structure. A wooden jar box, a revolving tray or a lidded hamper looks deliberate. A cardboard box looks like an afterthought.
• Quality over quantity. 500 g of premium cashews and pistachios beats 1 kg of mixed nuts.
• A signed card. A note signed by the account owner turns a company gift into a personal one.

What to send clients by level

• Regular clients (₹1,500 to ₹3,000): a wooden box with three or four glass jars of dry fruit and a UV-printed logo on the lid.
• Key accounts (₹3,000 to ₹5,000): a five or six jar tray with 1 kg of dry fruit, plus a branded bag or a watch.
• Top accounts (₹5,000 and above): a premium hamper plus luggage, a leather-handle tote or electronics.

Dealer and Distributor Gifts: Build Tiers

Dealers talk to each other. They compare gifts openly. Build two or three tiers so your best partners receive a visibly better gift.

• Tier 1, all dealers: a dry fruit thal or jar tray with your logo label. ₹800 to ₹1,500.
• Tier 2, growing dealers: a wooden jar box plus a useful item such as a backpack or power bank. ₹2,000 to ₹3,500.
• Tier 3, top slab: a premium hamper plus a watch, trolley or smartwatch. ₹5,000 and above.

Tie the tiers to sales performance and tell dealers how the slabs work. A gift linked to performance motivates next year's targets.

Branding for Clients and Dealers

Your logo should be visible without dominating the gift. Choose one placement:

• UV print or foil on the lid: the cleanest option for wooden and rigid boxes.
• Logo on the bag: works well when the hamper sits inside a tote or jute bag.
• Printed card: carries your message and logo without touching the product.

Delivery: Ship Straight to Each Client

Clients and dealers sit in different cities. Do not ship everything to your office and courier it again. Ask your supplier to ship each hamper to the client's address, in your name, with your card inside. At Optima, each hamper goes out on its own courier docket and you receive one tracking sheet for the full list.

Read our complete corporate Diwali gifting guide for timelines and delivery planning.

Rules Your Accounts Team Will Check

• TDS on dealer gifts. Under Section 194R of the Income Tax Act, a business giving a benefit or perquisite worth more than ₹20,000 in a financial year to a resident in business or profession deducts TDS at 10%. High-value dealer gifts often cross this line. Track the annual total per dealer.
• Business expense. Many companies claim client and dealer gifts as a business expense under Section 37(1) when invoices and recipient lists are kept.
• GST input credit. Section 17(5)(h) of the CGST Act blocks input tax credit on goods given away as gifts. Budget the GST as a cost.

Confirm every point with your chartered accountant. Your supplier should give you a clean GST invoice and a recipient-wise dispatch record to support the paperwork.

What to Avoid

• Cash or cash-equivalent gifts to clients, which conflict with many companies' anti-bribery policies.
• Alcohol, unless you know the recipient's preferences.
• Gifts arriving after Diwali. Plan for delivery before Dhanteras on 6 November.
• The same gift for every dealer, regardless of the relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good Diwali gift for clients?

A premium dry fruit hamper in a wooden jar box or jar tray, with your logo on the lid and a card signed by the account owner. Add a branded bag or watch for key accounts.

Is TDS applicable on Diwali gifts to dealers?

Under Section 194R, TDS at 10% applies when the total value of benefits given to a resident business or professional crosses ₹20,000 in a financial year. Confirm with your chartered accountant.

Does Optima ship Diwali gifts directly to clients?

Yes. Optima ships each hamper to the client's address in your name, with your card, and shares one tracking sheet for the full list.

Send gifts your clients and dealers remember. Build Diwali hampers for clients and dealers with live pricing, from 10 hampers.