Every year around this time the banners go up. Big Billion Days. Great Indian Festival. Biggest sale of the season. The countdown clocks start ticking on your phone screen before you have even finished your morning chai and somewhere in your head a voice says: this is the week to buy.

These sales are expected to open in the same window this year, right before the festive season starts, just like they have for the last several years. For roughly a week the two platforms will throw everything they have at shoppers: flash deals, bank discounts, exchange bonuses and badges that scream up to 80% off. It is, by most accounts, the best week of the year to buy a phone, a television or a washing machine.

That contradiction sits at the heart of every festive sale season in India. The marketers are winning the game, no question. Whether the consumer is actually winning too is a far messier question and the honest answer is: it depends on how much homework you did before you clicked “buy now.”

The ₹1.2 lakh phone that becomes ₹99,999

Here is a scene that repeats itself on every sale day. A flagship phone is listed with an MRP of ₹1,20,000. During the festive sale it shows up at ₹99,999, a saving that looks like ₹20,000 straight into your pocket. The badge says 17% off. The urgency banner says only a few units left. It feels like a steal.

Except the phone was never really selling at ₹1,20,000 in the first place.

So the “discount” you are celebrating is partly real and partly an illusion built on a number that was inflated to begin with. 

Brands and platforms know this works because human beings are wired to judge value by comparison rather than by an absolute number.

How the discount is actually decided

The math behind a festive sale price rarely starts with the question “what can we take off for the customer.” It usually starts somewhere else entirely.

Brands and platforms sit down months in advance and work backward from a margin target. A phone manufacturer wants to move old inventory before a new model launches. A platform wants to hit a gross merchandise value number that looks good in its next investor update. A bank wants more of its credit cards used during the festive quarter. All three sit at the same table and negotiate who absorbs how much of the “discount.”

Often the brand raises the base price a few weeks before the sale begins, then cuts it back down during the sale so the final number looks dramatic against the newly inflated one. Platforms add their own promotional coupons on top, funded partly by the seller and partly by the platform’s own marketing budget. Banks chip in an instant discount of 5 to 10 percent, capped at a fixed amount, in exchange for pushing their card to millions of shoppers who might not have applied for it otherwise. No cost EMI schemes are dressed up as free financing when in reality the “interest” is usually built quietly into the product price rather than charged separately.

Stack all of that together and the final number on your screen is not really a price. It is the output of a negotiation between four or five parties, none of whom were in the room to represent you.

How consumers end up fooled

None of this works without a few psychological nudges and Indian shoppers have gotten fairly familiar with most of them by now, even if they still fall for them.

Fake urgency is the most common one: “Only 2 left” or a countdown timer that resets the moment the sale extends by another day. Price history erasure is another, since most product pages show only the current price and the so called original one, never the actual trend over the past three months. Bundling dresses up value by throwing in an accessory or a subscription that inflates the perceived worth of the deal without meaningfully cutting the price of the product itself. Confirm shaming shows up in smaller ways too, in the guilt inducing pop up that appears when you try to close a cart or skip an add on, worded to make declining feel like a mistake.

India’s consumer regulator has actually put a name and a rulebook to a lot of this. The Central Consumer Protection Authority notified the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns back in 2023, listing thirteen specific practices as unfair trade practices, including false urgency, drip pricing, basket sneaking and bait and switch. In 2025 the CCPA issued fresh advisories asking platforms to self audit and fined companies including an ed-tech major and a global security software firm for using manipulative design. More than two dozen major platforms have since submitted self declarations claiming to be free of these patterns, though the regulator has made clear that monitoring will continue regardless of what companies declare on paper.

The existence of a rulebook does not mean every seller follows it closely. It just means a shopper today has a name for the trick when they see it, which is more than they had a few years ago.

How to shop the sale without letting the sale shop you

None of this means festive sales are worthless. Genuine price drops do happen, especially on last generation electronics, home appliances nearing a model changeover, and fashion inventory that retailers simply need to clear before the next season. The trick is separating the real cuts from the theatre around them.

A few habits go a long way. Track the actual price of a product over the past two to three months rather than trusting the strikethrough MRP on the page, since several browser extensions and price tracking sites now do this for Indian marketplaces. Compare the same product across platforms and the brand’s own website before deciding, because the “biggest” sale badge does not always mean the lowest price on the internet that day. Read the fine print on no cost EMI offers and work out the flat price if you paid upfront, since the difference tells you how much interest is actually hiding inside the “zero cost.” And resist the countdown clock.

5 Things to Know Before Naming a Nominee

Naming a nominee for your bank account, mutual funds or insurance may seem like a small task. But getting it wrong can create problems for your family later.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:

A nominee can make it easier for your family to claim your financial assets when you are no longer around. Without updated nomination details, your family may have to go through a longer process to identify and claim your investments and accounts.

It is also important to remember that nomination rules can differ across financial products. The process for a bank account may not be the same as that for mutual funds, insurance or a demat account. So, don’t assume that naming someone once takes care of all your finances.

1. Don’t nominate and forget

Your life changes, and your nominee details may need to change too. Review them after major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or the death of a nominee.

2. Check every account separately

A nominee added to your bank account doesn’t automatically cover your mutual funds, demat account, insurance or EPF. Check each financial asset individually.

3. Nominee ≠ legal heir

A nominee is generally the person who can receive or claim the asset from the financial institution. This does not necessarily mean they are the final legal owner. The ultimate distribution can depend on succession laws and your Will.

4. Be careful when nominating a minor

If you nominate a child below 18, make sure the applicable guardian details are also properly provided so the money can be managed on the child’s behalf.

5. Keep your nominations aligned with your Will

Your nominations and Will should ideally work together. A nomination helps your family access your assets, while a Will can clearly state how you want those assets distributed.

The simple takeaway

Don’t just name a nominee and forget about it. Review your nominations regularly, update them when your circumstances change, and keep a record of all your financial accounts.
A few minutes of planning today can save your family a lot of confusion later.

Source: MoneyControl 

Got a full-time job but also earn from freelancing, Instagram, YouTube or a side business? Your salary isn’t your only tax story.

Side hustles are becoming increasingly common. You might have a regular 9-to-5 job and earn extra through freelance projects, content creation, consulting, affiliate income or online sales.

But here’s the important part: your side-hustle income may be taxed differently from your salary.

Your salary and side hustle are not the same thing

Your salary is generally reported as “Income from Salary.” Your freelance or professional income can fall under “Profits and Gains of Business or Profession.”

So, if you earn ₹15 lakh from your job and another ₹5 lakh from freelancing, you cannot simply assume that both incomes are treated exactly like salary. The tax treatment depends on the nature of the side income and the rules that apply to you.

And no, calling it a “side hustle” does not create a separate tax category. What matters is what you do, how you earn the money and the nature of the activity.

What about the money you earn from freelancing?

This is where things can get interesting.

Eligible taxpayers may be able to use presumptive taxation, which can simplify how business or professional income is calculated.

For certain eligible businesses under Section 44AD, for example, the presumptive income can be calculated at 6% of eligible digital receipts or 8% of certain other receipts, subject to the applicable conditions.

So, if you receive ₹5 lakh entirely through eligible digital payments and qualify for the scheme, the taxable profit under the presumptive method could be ₹30,000 – rather than treating the entire ₹5 lakh as profit.

But eligibility matters. Not every freelancer, professional or side hustle automatically qualifies for the same scheme.

What if you have genuine business expenses?

You may also have the option of calculating your actual business profit and claiming eligible expenses, depending on the applicable tax rules.

Think of expenses such as equipment, software or other costs that are genuinely incurred for the business.

If your actual business expenses are significant, regular taxation may make more sense than presumptive taxation. But it also means more record-keeping and compliance.

In simple terms:

Low expenses + eligible for presumptive taxation → it may keep things simpler.

High genuine business expenses → calculating actual profits may be worth considering.

Your side hustle still needs to be reported

One common misconception is:

“My employer already deducts TDS, so I’m sorted.”

Not necessarily.

Your employer may handle TDS on your salary, but your side income still needs to be correctly reported in your income-tax return. Depending on your income and circumstances, you may also need to consider advance tax.

And don’t forget to check your Annual Information Statement (AIS) and reconcile your income with your bank statements, invoices and other records.

A few mistakes to avoid

1. Ignoring your side income

Just because you earn it outside office hours doesn’t mean it’s tax-free.

2. Reporting only the money that reaches your bank

Your gross receipts and eligible expenses need to be considered correctly. Don’t simply report the amount left after platform fees or other deductions without understanding the applicable rules.

3. Assuming every freelancer gets the same tax treatment

Different activities can fall under different provisions. Presumptive taxation also has specific eligibility conditions.

4. Mixing personal and business expenses

A personal expense doesn’t automatically become a business deduction just because you have a side hustle.

5. Forgetting your records

Keep your invoices, contracts, bank statements, platform payouts and expense bills. Good records can make tax filing much easier.

So, what should you remember?

Having a salary doesn’t mean your tax filing ends with Form 16.

If you have a side hustle, understand what type of income you’re earning, report it correctly and check whether a presumptive taxation scheme applies to you.

Your side hustle may be “side” to your job – but it’s still income in the eyes of the tax department.

Simple takeaway:
Salary + side hustle = two different income streams, one tax return.

Tax rules can vary based on the nature of your work and individual circumstances. This article is for general awareness and should not be treated as tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional for your specific situation.
Source: Business Standard