There is no workable definition of who the affluent are and how their affluence impacts their consumption, notes The Indicus Consumer Handbook: The Marketer’s Guide to Indian Consumers, edited by Laveesh Bhandari ( www.pearsoned.co.in).

Among the findings in the ‘guide’ are insights about where the affluent are, apart from being concentrated in large metros and urban areas. For instance, “large rural landowners, agriculture-commodity traders, contractors, public servants, or those living in large farms or farmhouses in the vicinity of (but not within) large urban centres are all spread across the country.” To marketers who want to serve the needs of the ‘bottom of the pyramid,’ the book reminds that though, on a per household basis, these households would be able to spend less, their numbers are so vast that the overall market size is quite significant. However, it can be a challenge to bring down the costs of supplying so as to profitably service those who can pay less.

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Source: Business Line