There are 3.4 billion rural consumers in the world. One-third of the world’s rural population lives in South Asia. The Indian rural consumer segment has become a very big deal for Corporate India.
One important distinction is that rural does not mean poor. More than 35% of the Indian rural consumers fall under the middle or upper-middle class brackets. The sheer size of the market and the consumer’s disposable income are factors that cannot be ignored.
While the urban marketplace is becoming increasingly saturated, the rural consumer offers a new avenue for companies to expand and grow into.
The digital leapfrog in rural India has been amazing. Thanks to technology, rural consumers are fully aware of the products and services that are available. Satellite TV did wonders and gave access to the same commercials that consumers in the urban areas were seeing. The smartphones and mobile internet have greatly changed things. India is one of the world’s biggest markets for mobile marketing, and for services like Facebook and WhatsApp.
Companies are figuring out how to reach the consumers via new technology, even in areas where there are issues with electricity. Rural consumers have always had the money, but now they have greater access to knowing what is available. For companies, availability is one thing, but distribution to rural consumers also matters, which is where technology comes in to the foray.
Is Your Rural Strategy Ready and Kicking ?
