Start with the right number: budget per head, before and after GST
Most budgets are written as one all-in figure per employee, but product prices are quoted before GST. Divide the all-in figure by 1.18 to see how much you can spend on the product itself. Shipping is a separate line, charged per order.
| Budget per head, including GST | Calculation | Ceiling before GST |
|---|---|---|
| Rs250 | 250 divided by 1.18 | About Rs210 |
| Rs500 | 500 divided by 1.18 | About Rs420 |
| Rs1,000 | 1,000 divided by 1.18 | About Rs840 |
| Rs2,500 | 2,500 divided by 1.18 | About Rs2,110 |
What each budget buys
Rs250 per head
The ceiling is about Rs210 before GST. Eighteen of the 21 categories we list start below it: plastic pens (from Rs6), keyrings (from Rs7), pen stands (Rs20), premium metal pens (Rs22), bags (Rs38), notebooks and diaries (Rs84), table clocks (Rs111), wall clocks (Rs118) and combo gift sets (Rs184). Gift hampers start at Rs238, so they miss at 5 pieces. From about 50 pieces the 16 percent saving brings them under the line.
A sensible Rs250 kit is three separate lines: a diary (from Rs84), a metal pen (from Rs22) and a canvas bag (from Rs38). Those starting prices add up to about Rs144 at 5 pieces each.
Rs500 per head
The ceiling is about Rs420 before GST. Everything above fits, plus gift hampers (Rs238) and award mementos (from Rs330, for example the Acrylic Trophy, MPI 3623). That is 20 of 21 categories. Only luxury silverware stays out, even at 1,000 pieces. At this band one good item replaces a bundle of small ones: a Wall Clock, PC 0506 at Rs118, a combo set or a hamper.
Rs1,000 per head
The ceiling is about Rs840 before GST. Luxury silverware gifts now fit at 5 pieces, from Rs699 across 29 products. At 100 pieces the 22 percent saving takes that starting price to about Rs550. Every category on the list fits.
Rs2,500 per head
The ceiling is about Rs2,110 before GST, roughly three times the dearest starting price in this guide (Rs699). We do not publish a starting price in that range, so do not budget this band off a "from" figure. Pick two or three items, for example a premium set, a desk piece and a diary, and send the list and quantity through the quote form for a combined price.
| Budget per head | Ceiling before GST | Fit at 5 pieces | Fit only with quantity | Do not fit at any quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rs250 | About Rs210 | 18 categories | Gift hampers, from about 50 pieces | Award and memento, luxury silverware |
| Rs500 | About Rs420 | 20 categories | None | Luxury silverware |
| Rs1,000 | About Rs840 | All 21 | None | None |
| Rs2,500 | About Rs2,110 | All 21 | None | None |
Categories used in these budgets
- Premium Metal Pens, MPI
200 options, from ₹22 per unit
- Notebook Diary (without dates)
60 options, from ₹84 per unit
- Table Clock
125 options, from ₹111 per unit
- Combo Gift Sets
66 options, from ₹184 per unit
- Gift Hampers
45 options, from ₹238 per unit
- Awards & Memento
133 options, from ₹330 per unit
- Luxury Silverware Gifts
29 options, from ₹699 per unit
- Canvas Bags
47 options, from ₹38 per unit
How headcount changes the per-unit price
The tier depends on how many pieces of one product are in the order, so a larger headcount lowers the per-unit rate. The table follows one real product, the Gift Sets with Diary, MPAP 353, which is Rs238 at 5 pieces, through the ladder. The full ladder is in the corporate gift price list.
| Pieces ordered | Change against 5-piece rate | Per unit |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Base | Rs238 (live starting price) |
| 15 | 6% lower | About Rs220 |
| 25 | 11% lower | About Rs210 |
| 50 | 16% lower | About Rs200 |
| 75 | 19% lower | About Rs190 |
| 100 | 22% lower | About Rs190 |
| 250 | 26% lower | About Rs180 |
| 500 | 30% lower | About Rs170 |
| 1,000 | 34% lower | About Rs160 |
The live site rounds to the nearest Rs10 from Rs100 up, which is why 75 and 100 pieces both show about Rs190 here. The percentage is the dependable guide; the product page gives the rupee figure.
Check the tier just above your headcount. A tier starts at the quantity shown, so a headcount of 49 sits in the 25-piece tier. Before rounding, ordering 50 can cost less in total than ordering 49, and it gives you a spare for late joiners.
| Headcount | Cost of ordering that quantity | Round up to | Cost of rounding up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | About Rs2,256 | 25 pieces | About Rs2,225 |
| 49 | About Rs4,361 | 50 pieces | About Rs4,200 |
| 99 | About Rs8,019 | 100 pieces | About Rs7,800 |
| 499 | About Rs36,926 | 500 pieces | About Rs35,000 |
Because the live site rounds each per-unit price, the gap can narrow or flip on a given product. Enter your headcount on the product page, then enter the next tier quantity, and compare the two totals before you decide.
How to build the total, with shipping and GST
How to build a per-head gifting total
About 5 minutes
- 01
Fix the headcount and add spares
Count the recipients and add a few pieces for late joiners and replacements. This quantity decides your tier.
- 02
Convert the budget to a ceiling before GST
Divide the all-in budget per head by 1.18. Use that figure to shortlist categories.
- 03
Get the per-unit price and the subtotal
Enter the quantity on the product page to see the per-unit price. Multiply it by the quantity to get the subtotal.
- 04
Read shipping off the subtotal
Shipping is Rs250 up to Rs5,000, Rs150 up to Rs10,000 and free above Rs10,000, counted on the subtotal before GST.
- 05
Add 18 percent GST and divide by headcount
GST at 18 percent applies to the subtotal plus the shipping charge, not to the goods alone, so an order with shipping carries a little more GST than the goods figure suggests. Divide the total by the number of recipients for the real cost per head.
Three worked examples
| Line | 40 metal pens | 60 table clocks | 100 gift sets with diary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Premium Metal Pen, MPI 3227 | Table Clock, PC 0650 | Gift Sets with Diary, MPAP 353 |
| Rate at 5 pieces (live) | Rs22 | Rs111 | Rs238 |
| Tier | 25 pieces, 11% lower | 50 pieces, 16% lower | 100 pieces, 22% lower |
| Per unit | About Rs20 | About Rs93 | About Rs190 |
| Subtotal before GST | About Rs800 | About Rs5,580 | About Rs19,000 |
| Shipping | Rs250 (up to Rs5,000) | Rs150 (up to Rs10,000) | Free (above Rs10,000) |
| GST at 18% on subtotal plus shipping | About Rs189 | About Rs1,031 | About Rs3,420 |
| Total | About Rs1,239 | About Rs6,761 | About Rs22,420 |
| Per head | About Rs31 | About Rs113 | About Rs224 |
Take the third column step by step. The budget is Rs250 per head, so the ceiling is about Rs210 before GST. The gift set is Rs238 at 5 pieces. At 100 pieces the rate is 22 percent lower, 185.64 before rounding, so about Rs190 per unit. 100 pieces at about Rs190 is a subtotal of about Rs19,000. That is above Rs10,000, so shipping is free. GST at 18 percent of Rs19,000 is Rs3,420. The total is about Rs22,420, or about Rs224 a head, which is about Rs26 inside the Rs250 budget.
The first column shows the other side. Forty pens cost about Rs800, and the Rs250 shipping band adds roughly 31 percent on top of the goods, about Rs6 a head. On small orders the shipping band moves the per-head cost more than the tier does, so put everything for one address in a single order. The second column lands in the Rs150 band: the 60 clocks cost about Rs112 a head all in.
Products used in the examples and bands
Premium Metal Pen
100+ pcs:₹22₹17 eachsave 23%
SKU MPI 3227
Gift Sets with Diary
100+ pcs:₹238₹190 eachsave 20%
SKU MPAP 353
Diary Notebook
100+ pcs:₹240₹190 eachsave 21%
SKU MPAP 020
Plan the date as well as the money
Customised orders take 5 to 7 working days from artwork approval, and ready stock dispatches in 24 to 48 hours from payment confirmation. Delivery is pan-India. The minimum order is 5 pieces on most products (wall clocks start at 100), which is unusually low in a market where suppliers commonly quote 30 to 100 pieces, so a small team can order at its real headcount. Questions on a specific list go to contact@shopgiftbulk.com or WhatsApp +91 88376 00299.
Written by
Nitin Mittal
Founder, MyPublicity by Brandskool
Nitin Mittal runs MyPublicity by Brandskool, the company behind GiftBulk, supplying branded corporate gifts, promotional products and printing to businesses across India from Delhi and Punjab. He writes these guides from the questions corporate buyers ask before they place a bulk order.