THE FACE OF NEW INDIA
A compilation of sociocultural trends 2009

CONTENTS
Foreword 1
Trends - Definition & Introduction 2
India - A General Overview 3 - 6
Trend 1 & examples 7 - 10
Trend 2 & examples 11 -14
Trend 3 & examples 15 -19
Trend 4 & examples 20 -23
Trend 5 & examples 24 -29
Trend 6 & examples 30 -35
Trend 7 & examples 36 -40
Trends - Analysis 41 -49
Conclusion 50
About us 51

FOREWORD
India’s colourful mosaic culture has been the main feature that defined the country
since time immemorial. It reflects in many tangible aspects ranging from architecture
to attire to food to culture. All these are deeply embedded in the rich historical and
geographical elements of the country. In the past two decades, India has seen a
plethora of change. While this again reflects in the many physical aspects, it is the
mental make-up of the average Indian that has evolved considerably, more so, as an
after effect of globalisation. Diversity, as mentioned, always characterised India. And
to Indians,the ‘Unity’ in the well known ‘Unity in Diversity’ saying, earlier signified a
deep love for the country and a blind acceptance of its multiplicity. It was the very
definition of patriotism, simple and straight forward, mostly fuelled by the struggle for
Independence in the last century. It was a common goal, and it was an era of the
outstanding leadership of the Gandhis and the Nehrus. Decades after gaining
independence, India struggled to gain a foothold in the international scene, bogged
down with basic problems ,and on and off political instabilities. The economic reform
policies of the 90’s was a boon and signalled the slow rise of a nation, which would
soon be in the forefront of the list of countries leading the world into the next
millennium.
In the last two decades, India has seen more global influences than ever before.
Coupled with this, is the fact that, technology has brought the diverse nation closer
together. Communication patterns have evolved, a nation of thinkers has become a
nation of doers, urban rural bridges have reduced , eco sensitivity is on the rise, and
all this has translated into a new language of patriotism, and speaks of a redefined
culture. This cultural shift has definite impacts on the Indian work scenario. Existing
companies have redefined their strategies. Start-ups today have fresh innovative
concepts and exciting working models. International players have realized the
importance of understanding the Indian playground in depth. This report identifies the
elements relevant to individuals and companies today, to be an active part of the new
story. It highlights the key trends in the sociocultural scene in India. It aims to give
insights into new aspects of thought and communication, that largely drive the nation
today.
1

TRENDS
AN INTRODUCTION
Before we start with a general overview of the
Indian culture and trends, let us more or less
define what trends are or are supposed to mean.
Trends are a manifestation of new enablers
unlocking existing human needs. Human needs
are constantly changing with time. Some core
needs remain constant throughout, whereas
others evolve in alignment with external
variables. Some trends remain, only modifying
themselves along the way, whereas others
disappear, making way for newer
manifestations. *
Global and local events and developments give rise to trends, which are fluid in terms
of their dynamics, and which most certainly affect all kinds of businesses. The world is
getting smaller and much smaller as you read. Globalisation has raised the bar. In fact,
it has given rise to ‘glocalisation’ of products all over the world. Brands feel the need to
give consumers a sustainable proposition based on innovation in their country-specific
context. Consumers today are global citizens. More exposure and more expectations
have risen out of standardisation. A number of businesses have identified this shift and
innovated. Businesses are increasingly catering to rational, practical, current cultural
needs and are not based only on traditional models and offerings.
So McDonald’s has Chicken Tandoori burgers, Mattel’s Barbie sports a bindi, Pizza Hut
has paneer tikka pizzas and fashion models wear spaghetti sari-blouses, to name a few
examples.
Source : www.trendwatching.com
2

INDIA - A GENERAL OVERVIEW
Indian civilization is recorded back to 3300 BC, one of the oldest cultures on earth
As of 2007, India’s population stood at 1.16 billion
The annual rate of growth of population is 1.8%
India has a GDP of over USD 1 trillion, the 12th largest in the world
It is the 4th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity
Its per capita income is just over USD 1100, 136th in the world
Even during the recession, the economy is growing at over 7%, 2nd fastest in the
world, which means its average income will double within 10 years
A Goldman Sachs report predicts that the Indian economy will overtake that of the
USA by 2043
India cannot be ignored !
*Source : Wikipedia
3

The culture of India has been shaped by the long history of India, its unique geography
and by the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as
well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley
Civilizations and evolved further during the Vedic age, rise and decline of Buddhism, the
Golden age, the Muslim conquests and European colonization.India's great diversity of
cultural practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-
mingling over the past five millennium.
India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most
deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays a central and definitive role in
the life of most of its people. The religion of more than 80.4% of the people is Hinduism.
Islam is practiced by around 13.4% of all Indians. Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism, all of
which originated in India, are influential not only in India but across the world.
Christianity is followed by more than 2% of the population. Zoroastrianism, Judaism and
the Bahai faith are also influential, but their numbers are smaller. Despite the strong role
of religion in Indian life, atheism and agnostics also have visible influence
Traditional Indian culture is defined by relatively strict social hierarchy. From an early
age, children are reminded of their roles and places in society. Several differences such
as religion divide culture. Strict social taboos have governed these groups for thousands
of years. In recent years, particularly in cities, some of these lines have blurred and
sometimes even disappeared. The nuclear family is becoming central to Indian culture.
In rural areas it is common that three or four generations of the family live under the
same roof. Among developing countries, India has low levels of occupational and
geographic mobility. Till recently, most people chose the same occupations as their
parents and rarely moved geographically in the society. The new urban crowd has
however, redefined many of these age-old practices, specially with the rise of the IT and
outsourcing industries.
*Source : Wikipedia
4

A lot has been said about India recently, with her ‘emerging economy’ label, about
how, along with China and Brazil, India would be one of the few players on the fast
road to recovery, post the recession gloom. Newspapers are abuzz with reports of
India being the top retail market* again. ‘Red hot’ is the term used by the Times of
India to project the attractiveness of this retail market.
Yes, with falling inflation and reductions in rent, global investors are probably looking
at India again to tap the golden opportunity. Indian companies, on the other hand,
are holding back a bit on expansion plans and focusing on restructuring their
operations towards developing new strategies that will work for them in the new post
slowdown scenario.
On exploring the landscape further, it is interesting to see that while there are good
forecasts and possibly even a few dreamy-eyed plans emerging again, there is much
more that is happening behind the scenes. The recent pressure on cost-cutting has
resulted in companies looking to benefit from fresh schools of thought like design
thinking instead of the conventional and expensive, highly research-driven approach
to devising strategies. From this stems an imperative to have a different understanding
of the lifestyle and habits of the new Indian.
*Source: The 8th Annual Global Retail Development Index - ATKearney.
5

As indicated earlier, the culture of a nation has a very strong bearing on almost all
aspects of its business. Many progressive sectors have invested in research on culture
and training and the results are showing too. The IT sector is an excellent example -
understanding local culture in a diverse land like India was certainly one of the
important factors which saw them through.
To reiterate, Indian culture today is quite different from the stereotype perception that
has prevailed so far. People today are very different from those of yesteryears in their
ways of thinking, processing, analyzing and responding to stimuli. And there are a
powerful socio-cultural trends that are driving these changes and simply cannot be
ignored. Read on…
6

TREND 1
YOUNG LEADERS
When a country has 450 million young people below the age of 18, it reflects on the
youthfulness of the country in more than just one way.
Over the years, India had been steadily showing strong indications of the youth
movement in many spheres, be it business or politics. The movement has now gained
enough momentum to break into the collective consciousness of a billion people, as
is evident from the examples we explore.
The Indian political system where caste and communal considerations rule over
issues and ideologies, is one major area where this movement is seen. There are
now a number of young politicians who have made the right moves at the right time,
with the burning desire to make a difference to their own lives as well as those of
others in the country. These are the people who, more than anyone else, will
determine the course of India’s journey ahead.
The freeing up of the economy that started in the 1990s has fuelled an
entrepreneurial boom that has seen several young business leaders. These young
captains of industry have successfully navigated India through tricky and challenging
international waters to plot for their business and industries, a course that has gained
the admiration of the world.
Moreover, in what could well be the most significant aspect of the youth movement,
this shift has not been restricted to just urban India. It has found resonance in the
huge numbers that make up rural India. After all, close to 70% of the Indian
population is rural.
What is common among all the participants of this trend is their burning ambition.,
something that has made them question age-old values and customs in favour of
efficiency and growth - their strong need for early success and a willingness to share
the fruits with their brethren.
7

TREND 1
EXAMPLE 1
DECIDING EARLY IN LIFE
YOUNG LEADERS
17,000 bright students from 1,800 primary schools in Surat and Tapi districts are
appearing for village, block and district-level competitive tests so that they can
confidently take the public service exams when they grow up.
These students, barely in their teens, nurture ambitions of becoming bureaucrats or
police officers one day. They are being trained by their school teachers under a
program called Personality Development for Primary Students. The selected students
of class V to VII are given books and other test preparation material as part of the
program. The test material is prepared and provided by All India Ramanujan Maths
Club free of cost. The question papers contain 50 to 60 questions related to science,
mathematics, logic and general awareness.Successful candidates are awarded
medals and certificates to boost their confidence levels.
Kunjlata Gamit, a class VII student of Parchuli Adarsh Prathmik Shala in Uchchal
taluka scored 50 out of 60 marks in the block level test. “Thanks to my teachers, I am
sure I will become an IAS one day,” she says.
This is the generation that will lead India onto the world stage before the second half
of this century.
8

TREND 2
OPEN EXPRESSIONS
Roti (food), kapda (clothing) and makaan (shelter) were not just the election issues
they were until just two decades ago. They were the only real issues that most of
India was grappling with.
In sharp contrast, here is a list of recent and publicly raised issues in India that have
caught the attention of the country:
Protests against racist leaders
Anti-terror rallies
Save water campaigns
Gay rights parades
Women’s rights parades
Human rights abuse in Sri Lanka protests
Environment issues parades
AIDS awareness campaigns
Basic education rights campaigns
Without doubt, public acts of solidarity and compassion are on the rise. There is a
clear move towards fighting for causes that are not necessarily one’s own. Fighting
for one’s underprivileged counterparts, for their equality and justice is a passion for
many, and now it is not uncommon to see even children rallying for causes.
11
20

TREND 2
EXAMPLE 1
VOICING CONCERN
OPEN EXPRESSIONS
The 28th of June witnessed the Delhi Queer Pride 2009 Parade, which was held to
demand the abolition of Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code, that awarded a 10-
year jail-term to those indulging in oral/anal sex. Most demonstrators were members
of the LGBTI (lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) community, which
has hundreds of members today all across India, with a higher concentration in
metro cities. History was made when, on July 2nd, the High Court legalised
homosexuality between consenting adults.
The fact that hitherto ostracised transsexuals are not only openly declaring their
sexual status, but also organising themselves socio-politically, shows that acceptance
of change in India is coming at a faster pace than ever before. Transgender issues
today are not an uncommon – far less a taboo subject of public debate. This
suggests that many Indians today are no longer afraid to publicly express their
opinion/ideology, no matter how radically unorthodox.
12
22

CONCLUSION
We have looked at sociocultural implications where both Indians and the
international crowd are concerned. However, these are suggestions by Insight
Instore, to stimulate ideas and actions. Importantly, steps in the right directions need
to be taken immediately to avail of the existing opportunity to boost economic
growth and enhance the sociocultural landscape of India.
To buy this report, please visit
www.insightinstore.com
For enquiries regarding reports, please write to us at
reports@insightinstore.com
50

ABOUT US
Insight Instore is a trend research and retail shopper marketing consultancy. We study
trends and shoppers. We see the shop as our laboratory. Our aim is to create impact
instore, through insight and innovation.
Our areas of work include shopper research and instore consulting, design consulting,
trend research and forecasting.
Our solutions are driven by a combination of various skills and disciplines, coming
together on a vibrant and receptive platform. Research forms the basis of our
consulting work. Consulting for us does not stop at developing a strategy, but extends
to helping our clients to execute and evaluate the strategy. We also use this entire
experience for trend research and forecasting.
Insight Instore is headquartered in Bangalore, India.
Contact us:
Insight Instore
455, 1st Cross
9th Main, HAL 3rd Stage
Bangalore - 560 075, India
email: info@insightinstore.com
www.insightinstore.com
Tel : +91 97390 94983 / +91 97399 74069
51