Father-in-law gifting on Diwali sits in an interesting position. He is not your father, so the casual comfort of gifting a t-shirt does not apply. Senior in the family hierarchy, the gift needs to carry some weight. Most people default to mithai boxes or dry fruit hampers, which he receives from six other people that week. The expectation is something useful that he did not buy for himself, not something ornamental that collects dust on the mantle.
At ₹1,000 to ₹3,000, you are buying functional gadgets: a smartwatch, a Bluetooth speaker, something that comes in a proper box with a charging cable. Below this range, you are in dry fruit territory, which reads as effort-free. Above ₹5,000, the dynamic gets awkward. Either he feels obligated to reciprocate at that level, or the gift implies he could not have afforded it himself. This range lands as thoughtful without overreaching.
The specific pitfall for Diwali in-law gifting is anything that signals age or health awareness. A massager, a joint-support item, or anything marketed toward seniors lands poorly, even if the intent is caring. It draws attention to something he would rather not discuss during a festive gathering with the extended family watching. A tech gadget avoids this entirely. He can use it, quietly pass it to a grandchild, or keep it in the box. None of those outcomes embarrass anyone.