The festive season hasn't even peaked, but India's leading appliance makers are already hitting the gas pedal. Ahead of the September 22 GST rate cut, brands like Haier, Xiaomi, Sony, Blue Star and Panasonic are passing on the benefit to buyers early, by slashing AC and TV prices, offering bundled deals, and rolling out bank discounts.
For context, the GST Council's decision to reduce tax on air conditioners, large-screen televisions, and dishwashers from 28 percent to 18 percent was widely welcomed, but manufacturers have wasted no time. Many have already started offering upfront pricing based on the revised tax slab, betting that the move will revive appliance sales that have been flat due to a mild summer, a late monsoon, and delayed festive sentiment.
Unlike last year's scorching temperatures that drove cooling product sales through the roof, 2025's erratic weather has left many consumers holding back. But with the new GST 2.0 regime, festive sales around the corner, and brands rushing in with pre-rollout deals, the industry is sensing an inflexion point. It is also been seen as a great opportunity for the companies to clear out their existing inventories and make space for newer things.
AC and TV Brands Take Lead
Haier is leading the charge in the air conditioner category with a ₹1 pre-booking scheme, available till September 21. Along with this, the company is also offering multiple discounts to buyers, such as 10% cashback, free installation, and a five-year comprehensive warranty. The new post-GST prices are available for Haier’s Kinouchi and Gravity series. The savings go as high as ₹3,900 per unit, depending on the model.
Xiaomi, meanwhile, is bundling its “Diwali with Xiaomi Sale” with a 100% GST benefit pass-through, up to ₹5,000 in flat festive discounts, and extended warranties worth up to 10% of product cost across its QLED and 4K TV lineup. These offers are available both online and offline from September 22.
Sony India has also confirmed that it will fully pass on the GST benefit across its BRAVIA TV lineup, offering customers up to ₹70,000 off on select premium models. The company expects stronger demand for large-screen televisions during the festive season and has revised its sales outlook upwards by 10 percent. To make upgrades easier, Sony is also rolling out EMI plans starting at ₹2,995 per month, along with cashback offers up to ₹25,000 and a bundled soundbar discount worth ₹69,990 on select combos.
LG, Panasonic, Blue Star, and Godrej are also offering GST-aligned price tags on their ACs in select markets. Retailers are reporting that many SKUs are already being billed at new GST-inclusive prices, even if the inventory was stocked at the earlier rate. Brands are expected to adjust backend credit notes accordingly to cover channel margins.
What It Means for Shoppers (and What's Missing)
For buyers, this GST cut, along with festive bank offers and limited-period pre-bookings, is as close to a perfect storm of savings as it gets. Entry-level inverter ACs from trusted brands are now dipping below ₹35,000, while 4K TVs in the 43–55 inch range are seeing sharp markdowns. Retailers are already pitching this window as a smarter time to buy, even before the mega-sale banners go live.
As the online sale season kicks off from September 23, consumers can expect even more limited-time deals, bonus warranties, exchange offers, and financing plans. Sony’s aggressive push into large-screen premium TVs, Xiaomi's bundled discount strategy, and Haier's early-bird AC campaign are likely to be followed by similar moves from other brands.
That said, washing machines remain excluded from the tax relief, a move that continues to puzzle both industry insiders and value-conscious shoppers. With rising adoption of fully automatic washers and washer-dryer combos, especially in metros and Tier-2 cities, the omission feels like a miss.
Still, with brands moving faster than regulators and festive pricing already in play, this could shape up to be one of the most consumer-friendly Diwali seasons in recent memory, at least for those looking to upgrade their cooling and entertainment setups.
