Unofficial gauges: What they say is more important than you think; 4 retail stocks with an upside potential of over 22%

Every economy has its unofficial gauges, the indicators that go beyond GDP releases and inflation reports to capture the pulse of how people actually feel. In India, nothing reveals consumer confidence more directly than how households open their wallets during the festive season. Diwali, Dussehra, Durga Puja, Christmas, and the New Year are more than cultural rituals, they are economic events, driving an outsized share of annual retail sales. Watching which companies benefit, how much they benefit, and how they guide investors afterward is one of the sharpest ways to understand the undercurrents of India’s economy.