New Delhi, April 28 -- India's affluent consumers are increasingly shifting towards experience-led spending, with travel emerging as the dominant category accounting for 58 per cent of discretionary expenditure among the ultra-elite, according to a report by Visa.

The Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) Whitepaper - India's Affluent Economy 2025-2026 - highlights that affluence in India is entering a new phase where consumption is more intentional, experience-driven and closely tied to personal identity rather than volume of purchases.

The study, based on a Visa-commissioned YouGov survey and Visa-Net data across travel, dining, retail and lifestyle segments, noted that discretionary categories account for a larger share of credit card ...