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A billion aspirational people, connected by technology, confident of their cultural and consumption power. If there is any group that has the potential to radically redefine a nation, it is rural Indians. By 2036, India is projected to be home to 1.52 billion people - having overtaken China around 2031 - with 931 million people still living in villages. Rural India is simply too large and too fast growing an agglomeration to ignore. This book maps their transformation, and shows how to realize their social and economic promise. It is a timely and important new work, ideal for students, scholars, marketing practitioners, and policy makers.
Spurred by technology, enabled by growing investment in infrastructure and accompanied by recognition of the need for social justice, a wave of aspiration is sweeping through families in the countryside.
It is this sense of optimism and dynamism that The Future of India’s Rural Markets captures so well. The book is structured to answer the three fundamental questions: why do rural markets matter, what is the change that is sweeping through them, and how to engage meaningfully with rural consumers.
— From the foreword by Professor Vijay Mahajan, University of Texas, Austin.
Kunal Sinha is an award-winning consumer foresight and strategy professional with over three decades of consulting, research and advisory experience across India, China, and Southeast Asia. A significant part of his career has focussed on unearthing insights, creating solutions for rural markets for corporates, non-profits, government, and start-ups, working with clients to shape their programs from the bottom-up; as well as teaching MBA and communications students how to design rural marketing engagements with empathy and creativity.
Foreword; Vijay Mahajan
Introduction. The Changemakers
PART A: Why does Rural India Matter, more than ever
Chapter 1. The Intersection of Agriculture and Technology
Chapter 2. The Impact and Challenge of Migration
Chapter 3. Faster Economic Growth
Chapter 4. Rural Women – A Catalytic Force
Chapter 5. A Matter of Identity
Chapter 6. Improvement in Health and Education
Chapter 7. Financial Inclusion
Chapter 8. Rural Road Connectivity and Electrification
Chapter 9. Entrepreneurship with a Difference
PART B: Manifestations of Change in Rural India
Chapter 10. The Price of Onions
Chapter 11. From Subsistence to Competitive Markets – The Modernization of India’s Agriculture Sector
Chapter 12. From Farming to Services and Entrepreneurship
Chapter 13. From Isolated, Male-Dominated Fiefdoms to Connected and Empowered Hubs – The New Gram Panchayat
Chapter 14. From Media Dark to Connected Lives
Chapter 15. From Handouts to Financial Growth
Chapter 16. From Fatalism to Fearless Futures
Chapter 17. From Empty Classrooms to Engaging Learning
Chapter 18. From Medical Staff Shortages to Digital Healthcare
Chapter 19. From Nautanki to Takatak
Chapter 20. From Mud Paths to Rural Roads
Chapter 21. From Cowdung as Fuel to Renewable Energy
Chapter 22. From Haats and Melas to Technology-Enabled Marketplaces
Chapter 23. From the Plough to Technology-Enabled Farming
Chapter 24. From Rainfall Dependence to Participative Water Management
Chapter 25. From Gram Pradhans to New Age Influencers
PART C: How to be Meaningful
Chapter 26. Build Trust across the Rural Customer Journey
Chapter 27. Forge Partnerships for Rural Transformation
Chapter 28. Leverage the Opportunity in Agricultural Exports
Chapter 29. Understand the Role of Religion
Chapter 30. Practice New Approaches in Participatory Research
Chapter 31. Unlock Grassroots Innovation
Conclusion. Changing the Game