India, Aug. 13 -- India's festive shopping journey is becoming less linear with every season, and Snapchat is betting that this transition can help deepen its advertising business in the country and give a major push to its commerce ambitions.

New research by GWI and Snapchat suggests that Gen Z's purchase journey has moved from discovery to social validation before conversion. While 70% of Gen Z consumers say creator content helps them discover products, 76% say instant feedback from trusted people makes them more confident about purchase decisions, while 63% share products with friends or family before buying.

That shift is particularly relevant for Snapchat, whose proposition is built around communication between close friends and fa...