Emerging Urban Indian Middle Class

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Emerging Urban Indian Middle Class

• Nimmi Rangaswamy

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Study sample methodology

• Ethnographic study covering 70 urban households
• Income group Rs.9000 22000 per month
  (2500-6000 USD per annum)
• Joint/ nuclear families with children
• All in Mumbai
• Diverse ethnic groups
• All evidence domestic ITC ownership

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Emerging Market Locales
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Zooming in
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at the door step
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Right in
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Broad Findings

• Social group displaying immense dynamism and
  social mobility
• Male breadwinners working harder than ever Men
  working 14-16 hour days, with no time for family.
  Feel stiffer competition.
• Mothers work for childrens lifestyle and
  education More women working to give children
  pocket money and to pay for tutoring
• Children seek professions never imagined by their
  parents

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Broad Findings What do parents say

• Men positive about globalization. Promotes
  stiffer competition but ensures good business
  environment. More opportunities for children
• Revealed a very optimistic and positive approach
  to new technologies not just limited to computers
  they saw good in technological conveniences in
  many aspects of life
• As consumers, enjoyed the ambience of the
  new swank mall culture though alert about
  affordability in traditional shopping space

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Broad Findings What do parents say

• Women definitely feel closer to childrens
  aspirations. Work towards meeting these through
  their own earnings or directly controlling
  childrens every day activities.
• Uniform perception of women having better
  opportunities and better equipped to take on the
  challenges of a developing India
• I have never seen a mall or a multiplex
  theatre. waiting for my daughter, who goes with
  her friends, to take me a mother of a 14 year
  old, running a home catering business
• I will ensure that my daughters dream of
  becoming an air hostess comes true, a mother
  from the conservative Borah community.

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Broad Findings What do parents say

• Many spend 20 of total income for tuitions and
  ready to buy a PC as it holds promise for a great
  future

A 100 PC aspiration in sample
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Children speak outSmart, focused, tech savvy
and fashion conscious

• Very aware of new opportunities
• Make small incomes after-college hours
• Spend on life style and share hhld expenses
• Drawn to globalizing culture
• Seek multi national jobs and glamorous
  professions
• Strong notions of expiry dates in fashion

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Children speak outSmart, focused, tech savvy
and fashion conscious

• ..Waiting for the time when my phone rings in a
  crowd and can proudly pick up my Nokia 6610 the
  admiration from the public will be my paisa
  vasool (ROI)
• I want to be a jet hostess. They were the
  smartest skirts. My parents are willing to shell
  out 80,000 INR for the course

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Children speak outSmart, focused, tech savvy
and fashion conscious

• My mother can walk into a showroom and buy
  something she really likes, Raksha, 24 , the
  highest earning member of her family.
• I study micro biology and want to be a product
  analyst in an MNC
• I know my expenses will increase it does not
  look nice to remain dependent on your parents for
  daily expenses when you are in college

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User PersonasIn a dynamic context of a
developing country and rapidly increasing
consumption patterns

• How representative are they
• Do they collapse all particularities, may be
  millions, to one persona

How best to use these portraits
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User PersonasHow best to use these portraits

• To be able to create multiple personas around a
  single axis
• Follow diversities along this trajectory
• Register of attitudes along the axis of
  consumption

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User PersonasPortraits

• Anjali
• Creates a particular moral universe about
  consumption, conservative and puritanical
• Pallavi
• Consumption posing a dilemma Attracted and
  repelled
• Subrata
• Strong utilitarian notions of consumption
• Bhavna
• Represents the ideal consumer

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Pallavi NileConsumption posing a dilemma
Attracted and repelled

• Age 24, Undergraduate
• Occupation Private tuitions
• Income (p.m.) 3000
• Family income (p.m.) 22000
• Caste Scheduled caste, Buddhist
• Ethnicity Nashik, Maharashtra
• Family size 4
• Earning members3(Subject,father, sister)
• Recently got a camera mobile phone and loves to
  flaunt it, though important for her job
• Thinks fortunate to be living in times so
  happening with many new opportunities
• Does not like mall/multiplex fashion expenditure.
  
• Fashion is something that is comfortable and not
  trendy
• Saves money to buy useful things.
• Thinks PC is useful

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Bhavana BhatiaRepresents the Ideal consumer

• Age 41, Home Maker
• Education HSC
• Spouse Textile merchant
• Family income 20,000
• Ethnicity Sindhi Baniya
• Family size 3
• Children 1 son (12)
• Earning members 1 (spouse)
• Manages home finance and saves in all forms-
  shares to fixed deposits
• Identified a dream house in a good suburb
• Wants fancy furniture, A/C, swank car, clothes,
  traveling
• Happy with a son, not a daughter. Gives her
  status in her community. Gives pocket money to 10
  year old son.
• PC culture, not for her generation but for gen
  next.

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Anjali GanganiCreates a particular universe
about consumption, conservative and puritanical

• Age 43, Architecture graduate
• Occupation Comp training Inst franchisee
• Spouse Architect
• Family income 30000
• Ethnicity Maharashtrian Brahmin
• Family size 4
• Children 2 sons (15, 10)
• Earning members 2 (subject, spouse)
• Wants sons to be good engineers
• Horrified at elder son wanting to be a dancer.
  Trying to draw him away from MTV culture
• Part of a spiritual cult and is initiating her 2
  sons
• Hates people taking loans to spend
• Critical of husband who likes fancy shopping and
  outdoors. But is proud of being able to afford.

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Subrata Dutta Strong utilitarian notions of
consumption

• Age 45, Lab Assistant, IIT
• Education ITI Diploma
• Spouse Small-scale tailoring
• Family Income 10,000-12,000
• Ethnic status Assamese Kayastha
• Family size 3
• Children 1 son (17)
• Earning members 1 (subject)
• Detests waste culture. Even computers
• create junk
• Good education is equated with good living.
• Wants son to go abroad
• Conscious about saving safe
• Spend only when having clear use value.
• Even pretty things have to be affordable.

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Accommodating ambivalent personas

• Pull factors
• Good education
• Rush to learn computing skills
• Embracing new opportunities
• Glamour of global spaces

• Push factors
• History of a saving ethic
• Spiritualism opposing consumerism
• Threatened by open sexuality.

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Conclusions

• Men Aspiring family driving work ethic
• Women The potent force behind aspirational
  economy
• Children Emerge as the driving force and the
  symbol of this aspirational economy.