The big fat birthday race: How kiddie bashes became serious business

Simple samosa and chips affairs are now lavish events that cost lakhs.Once upon a time, birthday celebrations were all about new dresses, the heavenly smell of baking cake, and celebrating with friends at home and school with a plate of wafers, samosa and a pastry.

Most adults today would fondly remember the special pencil they were gifted which they would dearly cherish and use throughout the school year. A string of balloons and games like passing-the-parcel were often the highlight of the day and your ‘special’ day was just yours.Fast forward to 2025, an increasing number of birthday parties have become the latest symbol of power play in a world that has been dominated by competition and peer pressure.

Now birthdays are not just about how lavish the occasion is, but also about innovating and keeping in check with what’s trending. For a section of the parent community, birthday celebrations are a way to make a mark in the inner circles, not only to make their child feel more ‘accepted’ with their peers but also showcase their originality and uniqueness in planning and organising such events.

This event brings together parents from various professions, offering a chance to connect while sharing the goal of supporting their children and networking professionally.

Birthday celebrations are becoming a game of one-upmanship. Budgets are getting more flexible as choices become vaster. The challenge remains on how to ensure your celebration is remembered long past the date. “An average party will host anywhere up to 20-30 kids, with parents also included for younger children up to six years. Many parents strive to ensure their child’s celebration surpasses other events they have attended.

A small section even goes out to invite whole classes, which can be financially straining but worth it for some,” says Dhiraj Aggarwal, an event planner.Parents spend considerable time and research to come up with unique birthday plans and the budget is no bar. While a typical birthday party can be managed in under a lakh, some moms and dads are happy to shell out several lakhs, according to birthday organisers. Rayna Malhotra, mom-to-two, recently hosted a birthday party on a large lawn where a team of professional planners hosted a treasure hunt for the kids.

“The idea was they had to complete certain tasks to get clues, and whoever could complete the tasks faster would win.

The idea sounded very appealing to us but ultimately led to heartache for many children who couldn’t keep up. Therefore, the next time we decided to do something which was more inclusive,” says Malhotra.

Favourable returns

The growing scale of birthday bashes has led to business opportunities for many budding entrepreneurs who specialise only in return gift options.

“If I want a loyal customer base, I need to track what kids are into these days and create customised options based around it. Everything from bags, water bottles, keychains, stationery sets, art boxes are customised and kept budget-friendly,” says Dia Nangwal, who runs a social media page specifically catering to return gifts.

The number of similarly run social media pages has increased five-fold in the last few years.

Other entrepreneurs organise theme-based events for kids, be it Little Scientist, Frozen or a football party. The event planners take care of everything from décor to catering and theme-based games. “Ten or fifteen years ago, kids would want a birthday based on their favourite animal, jungle theme, car racing, unicorns etc. Now I get enquiries asking about themes based on K-pop stars, Japanese animation characters or celebrity singers like Taylor Swift,” says Aggarwal.

Customised bites

Looking at the crazy demand, more venues have started cropping which give a whole array of options for parents based on their child’s interests — play areas, video game zones, trampoline parks, fun zones and even local cafes which cordon off a section of space for such parties and collaborate with planners and event teams to personalise birthday events. “We also offer catering options based on the child’s birthday theme.

Like for a unicorn birthday theme, cookies are in the shape of unicorns, while a car-themed party will have cupcakes with car fondants on top,” says Noida-based baker Mitali Saxena, who often caters to birthday parties.

From living rooms to farms

Farmhouses, which usually cater to weddings, are also seeing a surge in demand from parents who want to host lavish birthdays. "My son was invited to a birthday party in a farmhouse which had a circus theme.

It was like a mini circus inside with games, shows, ride... basically everything a child could dream of. He was dazzled by the number of options,” recalls a Delhi-based parent.Another parent recalls a birthday where every child was gifted a set of branded wireless headphones, which had cost more than the gift most guests gave to the birthday boy.“There is no doubt that children today are spoilt for choice. Many families still prefer keeping simple home celebrations, but the peer pressure many kids face in school over birthdays keeps piling on,” says Tanya Sharma, a resident of Jungpura and parent of two nine-year-olds.(Names have been changed on request)