Twenty Diwali gifts for employees and clients that cost under ₹500 each and do not look like it. With the full cost per person worked out, and what is still possible before 8 November.
Part of our guide: The Complete Guide to Personalised Gifts in India
The short answer
- Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026. Most offices hand out gifts in the week of 2 to 6 November, so the gifts should reach you by Friday 30 October.
- ₹500 a person is enough for one good thing with the person's name on it. It is not enough for a hamper worth giving.
- The gift is not the whole cost. GST, a box and delivery can add ₹100 to ₹200 a person, so set the gift price at ₹350 to ₹400 if ₹500 is the true limit.
- For up to 30 personalised pieces, order by Monday 12 October. For larger numbers this late, choose one shared design and add names on a card or tag.
- One list of names, typed and checked by HR, prevents most of the mistakes.
Someone in HR or admin has been handed a number: ₹500 a head, 60 people, find something nice before Diwali. If that is you, this guide to Diwali corporate gifts under ₹500 is meant to save you a week of vendor calls.
We make personalised gifts by hand, and we answer corporate enquiries, so this is written from the supplier's side of the table. Below are 20 ideas that fit the budget, the costs people forget to count, and an honest account of what can still be made in the weeks that are left. Some pieces are ours, and we say so. Others you will find elsewhere, and a few you can put together in the office yourself.
When do Diwali corporate gifts need to be ready in 2026?
Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026, with Dhanteras on Friday 6 November. Most offices distribute gifts between Monday 2 and Friday 6 November, before people travel home. Plan for the gifts to reach your office by Friday 30 October, which leaves time to count, sort and fix anything that is wrong.
| By | What should be done |
|---|---|
| Friday 9 October | Headcount, budget per person and the gift decided. Names collected. |
| Monday 12 October | Order placed for anything personalised, up to about 30 pieces. |
| Within two days | Sample or design proof checked and approved. |
| Friday 30 October | Gifts at your office. Count them against the list. |
| 2 to 6 November | Distribution. Courier anything for remote staff by Monday 2 November. |
| Sunday 8 November | Diwali. |
What can ₹500 a person actually buy?
For ₹500 you can give one well-made, useful object with the person's name on it, or two small things that go together. You cannot give a hamper that feels generous. A ₹500 hamper is five ₹60 items and a ₹200 box, and everyone can tell.
That is the main choice in this budget: one good thing, not many small ones. A name is what lifts a ₹350 object above a ₹700 one. People keep the gift with their name on it and pass on the one without.
What is the real cost per person?
The price of the gift is only part of what you pay. Add GST, a box or wrap, and delivery, and a ₹500 gift usually costs ₹600 to ₹700 a person. If ₹500 is the real ceiling, look for gifts priced at ₹350 to ₹400.
| Item | Per person | For 60 |
|---|---|---|
| Name keychain, handmade | ₹320 | ₹19,200 |
| Gift box and card | ₹45 | ₹2,700 |
| GST on the above (rate depends on the product) | about ₹45 | about ₹2,700 |
| Delivery: one carton to the office | about ₹15 | about ₹900 |
| Courier to 8 remote staff at about ₹80 each | ₹640 | |
| Total | about ₹436 | about ₹26,140 |
Three things to note. First, ask every vendor whether the quoted price includes GST; many quotes do not. Second, GST paid on gifts generally cannot be claimed back as input credit, so treat it as a cost. Third, sending to home addresses multiplies the delivery bill. Our guide to handcrafted corporate gifts in India explains the GST and income-tax points in more detail; confirm them with your accountant.
Personalised gifts under ₹500
These carry each person's name. They take the most planning and are remembered longest. At this point in October they are realistic for teams of up to about 30.
1. A resin name keychain
₹249 to ₹399 · Best for: teams of 5 to 30. One design in the company's colours, a different name in each. It is used every day, and nobody else in the house can claim it. Send the names in a typed list. We make this.
2. A handkerchief with embroidered initials
₹199 to ₹349 · Best for: formal offices, senior staff, clients. Small, light and easy to post. Two or three initials in one corner look more grown-up than a full name. We make this.
3. A desk frame with a team photo
₹349 to ₹499 · Best for: a team that shipped something hard this year. One photograph, the project name and the year. It needs only one artwork for everyone, which makes it quicker than individual names. We make this.
4. A cap with the team name
₹449 to ₹499 · Best for: sales, field and event teams, or the office cricket side. Embroidery outlasts print. Pick navy or black, the two colours nobody objects to. We make this.
5. A handbound notebook with a name on the cover
₹250 to ₹450 · Best for: people who still write things down. Handmade-paper notebooks from small binders can be stamped or hand-lettered with a name. Ask for plain pages; ruled lines on handmade paper look cramped.
6. A desk plant in a hand-painted pot, with a name tag
₹300 to ₹480 · Best for: offices where people sit at fixed desks. A jade or money plant in a small painted pot. The name goes on a tag, so the pots can all be alike. Deliver these yourself; plants do not travel well by courier.
One design for everyone under ₹500
No names, so no list to check and no proofs to approve. These are the realistic choice for 50 people or more when Diwali is a month away.
7. A boxed set of hand-painted diyas
₹150 to ₹400 · Best for: any headcount. Four or six terracotta diyas, painted by hand, in a box with the company's card. They are lit that same weekend, and they suit every colleague whatever their role.
8. A mini everlasting flower bunch
₹199 to ₹399 · Best for: client-facing teams and reception desks. A small bunch that needs no vase and no water. It stays on the desk through the year, with your tag on it. We make this.
9. A hand-poured candle in a tin
₹200 to ₹450 · Best for: mixed teams. Soy candles from a small maker in a mild scent such as sandalwood. Avoid strong fragrances, and avoid glass jars if they are going by courier.
10. A pair of hand-painted tealight holders
₹250 to ₹450 · Best for: colleagues with families. Safer than open diyas around children, and they come out again every Diwali.
11. A small handmade toran
₹250 to ₹480 · Best for: when you want the gift to be seen. It hangs over the front door on Diwali morning, which no desk gift can say. Bead or fabric torans pack flat.
12. A block-printed pouch or tote
₹120 to ₹350 · Best for: large teams on a tight budget. A hand-printed cotton pouch is useful on its own and doubles as the packaging for a small second item.
13. A set of two handmade soaps
₹200 to ₹400 · Best for: teams where you do not know everyone's taste. Choose makers who list their ingredients, and avoid anything that makes a medical claim on the label.
14. Reusable marigold garlands
₹150 to ₹350 · Best for: every home. Two strings of artificial genda for the door. Light, unbreakable and festive, which makes them the easiest gift on this list to courier. We make this.
Small sets you can build under ₹500
If one object feels too little, pair two. Keep it to two or three items. Beyond that, each one gets cheaper and the box starts to look like a clearance sale.
15. A diya pair and a name keychain
About ₹380 to ₹480 · Best for: teams of up to 30. Something for the festival and something for the year. This is the set we would choose ourselves at this budget. We make the keychain.
16. A candle and a handwritten card
About ₹300 to ₹450 · Best for: small companies where the founder knows everyone. The card is the gift. Two lines, written by hand, naming one thing that person did this year.
17. A handmade potli with dry fruits
About ₹350 to ₹480 · Best for: when the office insists on something edible. A stitched cloth potli with 150 grams of almonds and cashews. The potli is reused; a cardboard sweet box is not.
18. A mini flower bunch and tealights
About ₹350 to ₹490 · Best for: clients. It looks like décor, not like merchandise, and that is the point of a client gift. We make the flowers.
Gifts for clients and partners under ₹500
A client gift should not carry your logo on its face. Put your name on the card, and let the object be something they would choose for their own home.
19. A boxed handkerchief with the client's initials
₹249 to ₹399 · Best for: a short list of important contacts. It shows you know their name, and it is modest enough to pass any company's gift policy. We make this.
20. A diya set with a personal note
₹200 to ₹400 · Best for: a long client list. The same box for everyone, and a note signed by the person who actually works with them. Many companies cap the value of gifts their staff may accept. A gift under ₹500 is modest, but if you are unsure, ask your contact.
What can still be made before Diwali?
Handmade work has a daily capacity, so the answer depends on quantity. With a month to go, small personalised orders are fine, mid-sized ones need a shared design, and large personalised orders are too late to do well.
| Quantity | Personalised with names | One shared design |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 | Yes, if ordered by 12 October | Yes |
| 30 to 100 | Tight. Ask before you promise it internally | Usually yes |
| 100 to 300 | Too late for individual names | Possible for simple pieces; ask |
| Above 300 | Plan this for next year, from August | Buy ready stock from a wholesaler |
If names matter and the number is large, there is a middle path: a shared gift with a named tag or card. Tags can be written or printed in a day. It is not the same as a name in resin, but it is far better than nothing, and it is honest about the time you have.
How to brief a supplier so you get it right first time
A clear brief gets you a quote in one reply. Send these seven things in a single message.
- Quantity, plus five spare pieces. Someone always joins in October.
- Budget per person, and whether it includes GST, packing and delivery.
- The date the gifts must reach you, not the date of Diwali.
- Names in a typed spreadsheet, one per row, spelled as each person writes it. Have HR check it once.
- Delivery plan: one address, or several. List the remote staff separately.
- Branding: whether you want a logo, and where. A card or the box is usually the right place.
- Billing details: company name, GSTIN and address for the tax invoice.
You can send all of this through our corporate gifting enquiry form. We reply with what is possible by your date and what it will cost.
Mistakes that make a ₹500 gift look cheap
- A large logo on the gift itself. It turns a gift into a uniform. Put the logo on the card.
- Too many items. Two good things beat six poor ones.
- Names copied from email addresses. "Rkumar" is not how Rajesh writes his name. Ask people.
- Different gifts by seniority, handed out in the open. If managers get something more, give it separately.
- Forgetting the contract staff. The security guards, the pantry team and the housekeeping staff see the boxes being handed out. Include them.
- Ordering on 25 October. By then every maker and every courier is full.
For more ideas across budgets and for family gifting, see our 40 handmade Diwali gift ideas. To look at pieces that can carry a name, browse personalised gifts or gifts under ₹500.
Questions people ask
What is a good Diwali gift for employees under ₹500?
A resin keychain with each employee's name, a handkerchief with embroidered initials, a boxed set of hand-painted diyas or a desk frame with a team photo all cost under ₹500. One useful object with a name on it is valued more than a small hamper at the same price.
How much should a company spend per employee on Diwali gifts?
There is no rule, and budgets range from a few hundred rupees to a few thousand. Decide what the company can afford for everyone, and remember that GST, packaging and delivery add roughly ₹100 to ₹200 a person on top of the price of the gift itself.
When should we order Diwali corporate gifts in 2026?
Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026. For up to 30 personalised handmade pieces, order by Monday 12 October. For 100 or more personalised pieces, six to eight weeks are needed, so at this stage choose one shared design and add names on a tag or card.
Can a company claim GST input credit on Diwali gifts?
Generally no. Under section 17(5)(h) of the CGST Act, input tax credit is blocked on goods given away as gifts, so the GST you pay is a cost to the company. Ask your accountant how this applies to your business before you fix the budget.
Should corporate Diwali gifts have the company logo?
Keep the logo off the gift itself and put it on the card, the tag or the box. A gift with the employee's own name on it is used and kept. A gift with a large company logo is treated as merchandise and usually stays in a drawer.
What is the minimum order for personalised corporate gifts?
It varies by supplier. Handmade studios often take small orders, from five or ten pieces, because each piece is made individually anyway. Larger factories usually ask for 50 or 100. Ask for the minimum, the price at your quantity and the delivery date in the same message.
Need gifts for the team before Diwali?
Tell us the quantity, the budget per person and the date. We will reply with what is possible and what it will cost.
Written by Srushti Pawar
HeartCraftedStudio is a brand of Quavento Technologies. We make personalised gifts by hand, to order. These guides are written to help you choose, and we say when an idea comes from another maker. Published .
