ADSEI projects India’s direct selling industry to cross ₹25,000 crore in FY26

The Association of Direct Selling Entities of India projected on October 12, 2026, that India’s direct selling industry would cross ₹25,000 crore in FY26. ADSEI said low per-person spending remained a constraint, with India at around $2, or approximately ₹183, compared with $8-12 in lower-spending markets among the world’s 10 largest direct selling markets.

₹25,000 crore FY26 projection follows a ₹23,522 crore FY25 market

ADSEI projected that India’s direct selling industry would cross ₹25,000 crore in FY26. The association placed the FY25 market size at ₹23,522 crore after annual growth of around 7% over the preceding five years.

Six companies held around 68% of FY25 industry revenue

The six largest companies, each with annual revenue of at least ₹1,000 crore, accounted for around 68% of total industry revenue in FY25, ADSEI said.

ADSEI also said that companies with annual revenue below ₹10 crore made up around 83% of the industry’s company base in FY25, showing the uneven distribution of revenue across the sector.

India had around 91 lakh active direct sellers in FY25

India had around 91 lakh active direct sellers in FY25, according to ADSEI. Women made up 47% of active sellers, and about 69% of sellers were aged between 25 and 44 years.

Gautam Bali, patron of ADSEI, said nearly 43 lakh women were among the sellers. He said many were homemakers in small towns and villages earning income of their own.

India’s per-person spending was around ₹183

India ranked 11th among the world’s top 15 direct selling markets, ADSEI said. The association put India’s per-person spending at around $2, or approximately ₹183.

ADSEI compared this with $8-12 in lower-spending markets among the world’s 10 largest direct selling markets.

Wellness contributed around 61% of sales

Wellness, personal care and cosmetics accounted for more than 86% of industry sales, with wellness alone contributing around 61%, ADSEI said.

ADSEI said future growth would depend on higher consumption per seller and improved productivity rather than expansion of the seller base alone. It also identified repeat consumption and higher-value, specialised product categories as areas for further industry growth.

ADSEI links sector formalisation to the 2021 direct selling rules

ADSEI identified the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021, as an important step towards formalising the sector.

The association said seller training, compliance awareness and consumer trust would be critical to sustaining growth.

ADSEI gave three FY29 industry scenarios

Under its business-as-usual scenario, ADSEI projected that the industry would reach ₹31,095 crore by FY29, assuming a 7% compound annual growth rate.

ADSEI estimated the FY29 market at ₹35,699 crore under its optimistic scenario and ₹26,890 crore under its pessimistic scenario. The association said the scenarios reflected risks from seller attrition, weaker consumer demand and uneven implementation of regulations.