Gift IdeasGift ideas for a colleague or boss
At work, keep gifts neutral, modest and useful. Nothing too personal, nothing that could embarrass, and nothing costly for a boss.
A box of their favourite sweets
Find out the exact shop and the exact sweet. Precision is the gift.
A potted plant
Pick a hardy one that survives missed waterings: money plant, snake plant or jade.
A good pen
For someone who still writes by hand. Have the name engraved if the shop offers it.
A bar of fine chocolate or a small chocolate box
A safe choice when you do not know someone well.
A book you loved
Write a line on the first page saying why you chose it for them.
A set of diyas or scented candles
Hand-painted clay diyas suit the season and support a local potter.
A jar of homemade pickle, jam or laddus
Label it with the date and what is inside. Homemade food carries your time in it.
A desk organiser or good notebook
Neutral, useful and right for the office.
A desk plant in a ceramic pot
Something alive on the desk. Choose one that needs little light.
A mug with a line only your team understands
Inside jokes make the best farewell gifts.
A book of messages from everyone
Pass a notebook around quietly, or collect messages on the phone and print them.
A homemade cake or batch of cookies
Bake their favourite flavour and pack it in a tin they can keep.
A plum cake or homemade sweets
The traditional Christmas gift to neighbours and friends.
A small wrapped gift within the agreed limit
For Secret Santa: something useful, amusing and unisex if you do not know the person.
A good umbrella or raincoat
Unromantic and thanked for every monsoon.
A steel water bottle or lunch box
Sturdy, daily and impossible to dislike.
A pack of dry fruits
Keeps for weeks, suits every age, and nobody has to guess a size.
A gift card for a shop they use
Less personal, never wasted. Good when you live far away.
A hamper of snacks and tea
Build it yourself in a reusable basket. Choose things the person actually eats.
A hobby kit
Gardening tools, a painting set, a fishing rod, a set of chess pieces: whatever the next chapter is about.
A subscription to a magazine or newspaper
A gift that arrives again every month.
A scarf, tie or pair of cufflinks
Accessories need no size.
Dates and dry fruits in a decorated box
A traditional gift when visiting on Eid.
A donation in their name
To a cause they care about. Give them the receipt in a card.
A fruit basket
Seasonal fruit, well arranged. A good gift for elders and for visits to the unwell.
A silver coin
A traditional token of good fortune at Diwali, weddings and the birth of a child.
A travel bag or backpack
For someone starting a new job, a new city or a long-planned journey.
No idea matches these choices. Set one of the boxes back to "Any".
Your shortlist
How to choose for a colleague or boss
- Desk items, plants, food hampers and good stationery are safe.
- Avoid perfume, clothing and jewellery: they are too personal for the office.
- For a boss, a group gift from the team is more appropriate than an individual one.
About the spending levels
This site does not quote prices, because prices change with the city, the shop and the year. Each idea is marked with one of four levels instead:
- Token: A small gesture: the cost of a snack or a few cups of tea.
- Modest: An everyday gift for friends and family.
- Generous: A special gift for someone close or a big occasion.
- Grand: A once-in-years gift, often given by a family together.
Questions people ask
What is a good gift for a colleague or boss?
Start from what the person does every day and what they would not buy for themselves. On this page, "A box of their favourite sweets" and "A small wrapped gift within the agreed limit" are two ideas that suit most people.
What if I have very little to spend?
Choose the Token level in the filter. Handmade and personal gifts, such as a book you loved, cost little and are often the ones remembered.
Gifts for other people
Guides
- Shagun: giving moneyThe envelope, the extra rupee and how to decide the amount.
- Gifting etiquetteGiving, receiving, regifting and gifts to avoid.
- Return giftsIdeas for birthdays, weddings, pujas and housewarmings.
- Gift wrappingWrap a box neatly, or wrap without paper at all.
- Gift messagesShort lines to write on a tag or card, to copy.
- Secret Santa name drawerPair everyone for a gift exchange on one phone.