How committed are consumer durables manufacturers to the rural consumers?
A. A start has been made by the durable manufacturers to try to understand the rural consumers’ needs and increase penetration. Of course, they are nowhere near the penetration achieved by FMCG companies. One reason is because the consumer durables manufacturers already have attractive urban markets and secondly, they are committing resources in a hesitant manner to the rural market with concerns about returns on their investments. I feel the players should be as committed to the rural market as the urban market because the future growth will come from rural India. A simple thing like setting up service centers is neglected in many cases.”Sampling is able to bring about brand experience.
