The demand for Diwali greeting cards has gone down by over 70 per cent due to the advent of e-cards, the popularity of social networking sites, and the use of SMS, MMS and phone calls as alternatives.

However, greeting card sales for other occasions – such as Mothers’ Day - have not declined. The greeting card industry is pegged between Rs 300 crore and Rs 400 crore in India.

According to a study by Assocham – Social Development Foundation (ASDF) between the months of September and October, youngsters preferred to do away with the traditional system of greeting cards.

“Greeting cards are slowly losing their sheen due to the emergence of newer technologies,” D. S. Rawat, Secretary General, Assocham said. Around 55 per cent of the respondents who participated in the survey were in the age bracket of 20-29 years, followed by 30-39 years (26 per cent), 40-49 years (16 per cent), 50-59 years (2 per cent) and 60-69 years (approximately 1 per cent).

According to Assocham, nearly 80 per cent of survey respondents have switched over to the new means (of e-cards, SMS and MMSes).

The survey was carried out across cities Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabd, Pune, Chandigarh, and across different sectors that include IT/ITes, engineering, market research, FMCG, infrastructure and real estate sector among others.

> abhishek.l@thehindu.co.in

Published on November 9, 2012