India's e-commerce companies and online merchants are getting ready for a historic Christmas season. The Economic Times, citing market research firm Datum Intelligence, reports that goods valued at $12 billion, up 23 percent from $9.7 billion the year before, are expected to be distributed to buyers.

The fast-growing quick commerce market, which offers speedy delivery, is expected to add $1 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) to the holiday sales. GMV, which does not include returns or discounts, is the total value of items sold on e-commerce platforms.

The holiday season, which typically peaks during Diwali, is an important time for e-commerce platforms, merchants, and large brands. This year's increased demand will benefit platforms like Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Zomato-owned Blinkit, and BigBasket's BB Now, particularly in the grocery and beauty and personal care (BPC) segments.

Fast commerce is notable this year, according to Datum Intelligence advisor Satish Meena. They will be the main players in the grocery and BPC (beauty and personal care) categories, taking market share away from contemporary trade marketplaces and even kirana stores.

According to a Datum Intelligence survey, smartphones, major appliances, mobile devices, and fashion categories will lead this holiday season's sales, accounting for over half of all sales. 

On September 27, the e-commerce behemoths Amazon India and Flipkart, controlled by Walmart, will begin their yearly holiday discounts. Meesho's Mega Blockbuster Sale and Flipkart's Big Fashion Festival on its subsidiary Myntra are scheduled to begin on the same day.

Flipkart has opened 11 new fulfillment centers and generated over 100,000 temporary jobs in more than 40 regions in order to handle the spike in demand. Additionally, it is improving deliveries the same day and the following day throughout a growing network of cities. Amazon India has accelerated delivery times and supported over 250,000 sellers by establishing three additional fulfillment centers in strategic areas.