The Rural Market Beckons

Nili Marfatia MMS I B, 122.

Research Methodology

Contents
1. Acknowledgement. 2. Research Objectives of this Study. 3. Introduction. 4. Rural Market Penetration and Potential. 5. A Glimpse of Rural Lifestyle. 6. Reaching the Rural Markets- communication media. 7. Conclusion. 8. Recommendations. 9. Limitations of this study. 10. Appendix 11. Bibliography.

Acknowledgement
It has taken little less than two months to complete this project. In retrospect, I feel that I have been greatly aided by Prof. Monica Khanna. Had it not been for her, I would not be able to go to the depths of this subject Reaching out to the Rural Masses. She was accessible to all of us students right throughout, and many a times gone out of her way to give us some relevant material. I would also like to thank Mr. Manek Gupta of Starcom India, for his time and valuable inputs in the course of my research.

Research Objectives of this Study

There are mainly two objectives: To gauge market potential of rural India for categories In categories consumer durables and non-durables, and 1. Ways to create awareness among rural consumers a. Outline various media - conventional and non-conventional b. Find their effectiveness in communicating to the rural consumers c. How to optimize reach of communication media, that is attain maximum reach at minimum, reach.

Introduction
With 72% of the national population in the villages, equivalent to 12.2% of the worlds consumers, Indias rural market presents a huge market. In absolute figures, there are 720 million consumers. Moreover this market remains largely untapped, far from being saturated unlike its urban counterpart making the rural markets an absolute hotspot for all marketers. And again, economic growth in India's agricultural sector last year was over 7%, compared with 3% in the industrial sector. Agriculture is the main population in the villages. So a healthy growth rate in agriculture translates into better prosperity for the rural masses, resulting in greater disposable income, and purchasing power. (It may be mentioned here that agricultural income is not taxable.) Before we plunge into rural markets and the works, just what is defined as rural. The Census of India defines rural as all that which is not urban. Urban is defined as 1. All locations with a municipality/corporation, cantonment board or a notified town area; 2. All other locations satisfying each of the following parameters: a) a minimum population of 5,000 b) at least 75% of the male workforce engaged in agricultural activities, and a population density of over 400 per sq. km. There is increased competition, saturation and declining marginal profitability (diminishing marginal returns) in the urban markets. In fact, in case of few products like Rajdoot motorcycles, Bajaj scooters and Ambassador cars there is greater acceptability in the rural consumers, than in the selective urban markets. But harnessing the rural markets is not a simple job at all. Rural marketing is a completely different ballgame. The villager has a peculiar mindset, social life, aspirations and preferences. There is heterogeneity across the Indian villages each region has it characteristic belief systems and lifestyles, level of prosperity an degree of urbanization. The poor infrastructure makes some villages very expensive to access. HLL actually estimated the cost per contact in the rural markets at about five times more in the rural areas than that in the urban markets. Yet the annual growth for personal care categories and detergents is three times more in the rural markets than in their urban counterpart - and this is what drives HLL and others to the rural markets. Several companies have already targeted the rural markets. Arvind Mills launched its Ruf & Tuf kits, it was a success in the rural markets. Jeans are now becoming a common in several rural areas, largely due to influence of television. And ditto when Britannia Industries launched Tiger Biscuits designed for the rural markets. In fact the rural market share in the glucose biscuits soared to 15% from 7%.

And then there is insurance. New York Life Insurance Co., which runs a joint venture with local partner Max India, is one of several companies that report booming business in villages of 5,000 and less. And believe it or not, a typical term policy may actually have a payout of $208 and an annual premium of $2. Out of the 5.4lakh total subscribers, BPL has about 2 lakh subscribers in small towns and villages in Maharashtra, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Bharati has a third off its subscriber base in small towns and villages of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Whats more, these segments are the ones showing fast growth. Coca-Cola, Philips, Samsung, Honda, HLL, Colgate-Palmolive Indiathe list goes on.

Rural Market Penetration and Potential

This section covers consumer durables as well non-durables. The electrical durables are discussed separately, due to low electricity access in most rural households. Brand preference is also discussed, as it is important in the communication strategy of a brand. Consumer Durables Consumer durables are fast making inroads in the rural areas. They are no longer a novelty in the countryside. But these durables havent become utilities, instead they are more of status symbols in the rural society. The aim of the marketer is to make these goods a part of their regular life. Ownership of Durables Product Geyser (Instant) Geyser (storage) VCR/VCP Washing Machine Motorised Two-Wheeler (moped) Motor Cycle Scooter TV (colour) TV (B&W) Cassette Recorder Wrist watch (quartz) Radio/Transistor Wrist watch (mechanical) Source: Natrajan (1998) Ownership per 000 thousand rural households 0.3 0.5 2.0 5.0 17.7 18.7 21.1 26.4 154 173.2 257.5 418.9 759.7

In the table above, only households with electricity are considered for electrical goods like geysers and television. Access to electricity is a crucial issue in rural areas. Only 34% rural households are electrified. Even if a village is electrified, the number of households that can afford electricity is very low. Rural Households with Electricity States Uttar Pradesh Maharashtra Villages Electrified (%) (1996) 76.60 99.40 Rural households with electricity (%) (1991) 10.96 58.45

Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh 100.0 37.50 Source: R. K. Swamy/ BBDO Guide to market Planning, 1999. The use of electricity in some of the households may be restricted to bare minimum to keep expenditure low. To make things worse, rural areas suffer from high voltage fluctuation, which in turn may spoil electrical good. This limits ownership of electric consumer durables in the rural markets. To get a better idea, the rural households with electricity may be considered separately. Ownership of Electrical Goods Households Average electrical goods owned per 000 households 0.82 2.48

Total rural households Rural households with Electricity Urban households 3.39 Source: Rural Marketing, S. Velayudhan, 2002

Non-electrical Durables: On an average, a rural household owns 2.2 non-electrical durables. The lowest income bracket owns1.5, and the highest income brackets owning 5.4 non-electrical goods. Consumer Non-durables While rural households form 72% of total households in India, they own 52% of consumer durables. Certain durables enjoy higher sales in the rural areas than in the urban areas. They include sewing machines, wristwatches, cassette recorder and table fans. (NCAER, 1998).

The same holds true for some non-durables as well. This is shown in the table below: Rural Market Share of Consumption Non Durables Non-durable Goods Analgesic Tablets Batteries Coconut Oil Iodised Salt Safety Razor Blades Tea Washing Cakes & bars Washing powders and liquids % Share of Rural Ownership 45.7 56.2 41.6 51.4 54.1 51.3 54.6 46.4

Source: Business world, 7-12, April,1999. The rural buyer is definitely undergoing a change in lifestyle. In fact the some of the quintessential urban goods like soap, toothpaste, shampoo have penetrated and hence successfully challenged the traditional substitutes. We see rural households increasingly switching over to the modern products. Call it power of communication and advertising, or what you may, the challenge to impact and influence the rural mind (set) is here to stay. An average villager spends about 3,203/- on consumer non-durables in a year. This figure is more than double for the higher income groups. This reflects good opportunity as well as competition for the various non-durable goods for share of the rural wallet. Annual Expenditure of Rural Households on Non-Durables Income Group (Annual Income, Rs.) < 25,000 25,000 50,000 50,000 77,000 77,001 1,06,000 > 1,06,000 Rural Average Source: Natrajan (1998). Expenditure per 000 Household (Rs.) 2,464 3,474 4,875 6,422 8,021 3,203

A glimpse at the purchase levels and penetration rates of some products: Purchase levels of Non-Durables/FMCG Consumer Non-durables/ FMCG Lipstick Nail Polish Shampoo Face Cream Cigarettes Packaged Busicuits Toothpaste Body Talcum Powder Toothpowder Washing Powder Tea Washing Cake Toilet Soap Source: Natrajan (1998) Pentration Rates of FMCG goods Product Batteries Toothpowder Toothpaste Hair wash products Washing Powders/liquid Washing Cakes/bars Source: Business World, April 1999. These product categories have rather low penetration, and there is opportunity to cash in on these categories. Especially in cosmetics and personal care category, communications (particularly product education) can motivate the rural markets, generate awareness and aspirations to own these products. While pricing remains important issue, creating quality consciousness in the target audience will help the brand in the long run. (See Appendix for penetration rates of a few high end brands in washing powder and toilet soaps category.) The table below shows the increase in the penetration rates in some significant product categories over a 10-year period, from 1985-86 to 1995-96. While it has been very high for Total Penetration (%) 21.3 22.8 33.1 39.4 70.3 87.5 No. of Households purchasing per 000 households 11.8 31.4 81.0 148.2 186.8 231.1 329.7 368.5 370.3 553.7 835.8 918.2 979.2

toilet soaps, toothpastes and tooth powders, it has been marginal for lipsticks and nail polishes Incremental Penetration Rate for Non-Durables in the Rural Markets Product Category *Lipstick *Nail polish Talcum Powder Shampoo Face Cream Washing Cake Packaged Biscuits Tea Toothpaste Washing Powder Toothpowder Toilet Soap Source: NCAER Increase in Penetration Rate from 1985-86 to 1995-96 (%) 0.62 0.8 1.69 2.7 7.84 7.9 8.59 11.02 14.51 18 20.17 79.46 (near saturation) Penetration Rate in 1995-96 1.18 3.14 38.85 8.1 14.82 91.82 23.11 33.58 32.97 55.37 37.03 97.92

*The penetration rates of lipstick, shampoo & nail polish are available from 1992-93 onwards only. Therefore 85-86 numbers refer to penetration in 1992-93. Brand Preference Studying brand preference among the rural consumers reveals how strong is an existing brand, and how hard will a new brand have to work to beat the existing brand. Brand communication will vary accordingly. An already steady brand can add more benefits, a new brand has to communicate how better or different it is from the available brands. And in those categories where the brand preference is low, a new entrant can dominate that category. The villagers show strong brand preference in some product categories, as indicated in then table below: Brand Preference in some Product Categories in Rural Markets Consumption of branded items (%) 41% - 60% 61% - 80% 81% - 100% Product Categories Washing cakes, Tea, Iodized Salt Biscuits, bulbs, hair oils Toilet soaps, washing powder, toothpowders and toothpastes, Shampoos, Batteries, Rubs and

Balms, Antiseptic creams and liquids, Shaving preparations, Mosquito Repellents Source: Business World, April 7 12, 1999. The branded category includes national, regional and local brands. Brand preference is rather high in toilet soaps and personal care categories like hair oil and shaving preparations. The potential lies in those product categories where high brand preference is accompanied by high incremental penetration over a decade, but has currently a low penetration level. Some of these products are washing powder, toothpastes, and tea. Purchasing power in the rural markets It is indeed misleading to think that the rural India lacks the economic power and cannot afford urban manufactures. On the contrary, the rural markets are growing twice as fast as the urban, particularly in sales of formerly typical urban durables such as refrigerators, mixer-grinders and pressure cookers. According to a National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) study, There are almost twice as many 'lower middle income' households in rural areas as in the urban areas. There are as many 'middle income and above' households in the rural areas as there are in the urban areas. At the highest income level there are 2.3 million urban households as against 1.6 million households in rural areas. It is projected that the number of middle and high-income households in rural India will grow from 80 million to 111 million by 2007. There is evidence of increased prosperity in the rural households. More and more households are coming into the middle and higher income brackets. This is shown in the table below: Average Annual Growth Rates of Rural Households in different Income Groups (figures in percentages) Income Group Annual Income (Rs.) at 1995-96 prices < 25, 000 L 25,001- 50,000 LM 50,001- 77,000 M 77,001- 1,06,000 UM > 1,06,000 H Total 1985-86 to 1989-90 -0.20 4.91 17.82 16.39 13.9 2.04 1992-93 to 1995-96 -3.03 10.22 3.11 12.25 15.68 1.44

Source: NCAER, (1998)

 There is healthy growth rate among the Lower Middle- income groups as well as the High-income groups, and a rather pronounced decline in the Lower income group households. In urban India, the same is expected to grow from 46 million to 59 million. Thus, the absolute size of rural India is expected to be almost double that of urban India. To conclude this section, it would be apt to quote Mr. D. Shivakumar, Business Head (Hair), Personal Products Division, Hindustan Lever Limited The money available to spend on FMCG products by urban India is Rs. 49,500 crores as against is Rs. 63,500 crores in rural India.

A Glimpse of Rural Lifestyle

This section is about some significant nuances of rural lifestyle. It also points out relevant trends and changes. This is important while targeting the rural market it is a deciding factor in making product strategy, communications strategy or promotions. Also who really make the purchase decisions man or the lady of the house, is another question answered at the end of the section. Some facts: Use of toothpastes or detergents is often a status issue, as most villages have a common washing area. The price-sensitivity of a consumer in a village is something the marketers should be alive to. Rural income levels are largely determined by the vagaries of monsoon and, hence, the demand there is not an easy horse to ride on. A rural consumer is brand loyal and understands symbols better. This also makes it easy to sell look alike Rural consumers are rather high on brand loyalty on certain product categories. Brand Loyalty (%) Category Toilet Soaps Toothpastes Batteries Washing cakes/bars Analgesics/cold Washing liquids/powders Hair wash preparations Safety razor blades Toothpowders Coconut oil Skin Creams Shaving preparations Chyavanprash % Loyalty* 3.1 12.6 17.7 18 21.8 25.9 28.9 26.5 47.3 52.1 62.5 67.3 77.3

Source: Business World, April 7 121, 1999. *Loyalty is defined as the same brand purchase every time the category is purchased in the last six months. These brands include national or the regional brands; but more importantly reflect that 1. The rural buyer can be made brand conscious 2. Promotions, tactical marketing may be used in the low loyalty product categories like that of soaps and detergents.

New trends: As literacy spreads in the rural areas, the consumers, particularly the youth, discriminate in their brand choices. More family members, and not just the male members, influence purchase decisions. So there is wider market to target. There is also a gradual movement from collective to individual action. Changes in saving and investment patterns the wealthy class is buying more of tractors and Maruti cars, and than gold and land (Kashyap, 1998). Ergo, rural market is the future for durables and non-durables. Feeder town-proximity In toiletry items, proximity to urban areas is a stronger factor than television exposure, in influencing purchase decisions (Das and Sen, 1991). Nearby urban town influence rural buyer. Share(%) of Urban purchases in total purchases in rural India Category Shaving preparations Bulbs and balms Toilet soaps Washing detergents Iodized salt % Share from Urban Purchase 36.6 32.0 24.0 23.4 14.4

Source: Business World, April1999. Who is the buyer? This section would be incomplete without addressing this crucial decision. Because it is this person the marketing and advertising has to be targeted on. Basically, in FMCG category, while the lady of the house makes the brand purchase decisions, the male member actually makes the purchase. He is marginally influenced by the retail promotions. The role of the child as an influencer (pester power) is not strong yet. In case of consumer durables, it is the male members who make the brand decisions as well as brand purchase.

* Feeder Villages: feeder villages or towns are locations from where a large number of interior villages get their products.

Reaching the Rural Markets- communication media

This section talks about the mass media penetration levels in the rural areas, the various non-conventional media used (along with some examples), and of two important social institutions of rural social life, viz. haats and melas. Main issues in rural communication are - spread and heterogeneity. There are variations as a result of geography, demography, involvement levels in purchase decisions, and state of readiness. Overcoming problem of Spread: Roughly two-thirds of a state population can be reached by covering just a third of the villages (Bose, 1992). For instance, 27% of its villages make up 71% of its population. One could also target villages on the basis of their propensity i.e. economic power and readiness to spend. There are basically traditional media and non-conventional media used to reach the villagers. 1. Traditional media: This is mainly mass media Television, print and radio. 2. Non-traditional media: Wall paintings, sponsoring popular events, puppetry, processions, audio-visual vans, point-of-purchase channels, melas and so on. The latter are more effective than the former, though they are more expensive media. Mass Media Almost half the rural market can be reached by mass media*. The main benefit of mass media is the economy involved it enjoys the lowest cost per 000. Mass media primarily reaches the higher end rural market. Reach of Mass Media by Income Group Media MHI >Rs. 5,000 59 68 MHI Rs. 3,001 - Rs. 5,000 63 74 MHI < Rs.3,000 30 40 46 48 All 33 44 49 51

T.V. T.V.& Radio T.V., Radio, & Press 73 80 T.V, Radio, Press & Cinema 74 80 Source: IRS, 1998, Sarkar, (1998).

*mass media is mainly television, press, radio, and cinema.

Media Reach Rural (1998)

Demographic Sex Male Female Age (Years) 12-24 15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ Education Illiterate Below SSC SSC+but not graduate Graduate and above Occupation Farmers Fish/ Poultry Shop Owners / Traders Service Artisans Labourers Others Not Working SEC R1 R2 R3 R4 Income (MHI Rs) <1000 1001 - 2000 2001 - 3000 3001 - 5000 5000 - 8000 8000 22.0 33.0 46.0 60.0 75.0 82.0 15.0 24.0 36.0 48.0 65.0 68.0 11.0 14.0 17.0 22.0 25.0 22.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 12.0 14.0 18.0 76.0 64.0 48.0 22.0 74.0 58.0 41.0 12.0 30.0 22.0 19.0 10.0 15.0 10.0 12.0 8.0 37.0 22.0 13.0 7.0 27.0 25.0 43.0 58.0 35.0 24.0 25.0 21.0 47.0 69.0 35.0 15.0 13.0 13.0 23.0 26.0 23.0 13.0 7.0 10.0 16.0 15.0 19.0 12.0 15.0 45.0 62.0 73.0 35.0 76.0 92.0 7.0 18.0 28.0 23.0 5.0 11.0 19.0 23.0 47.0 45.0 39.0 31.0 28.0 26.0 19.0 26.0 35.0 33.0 25.0 22.0 18.0 12.0 11.0 16.0 17.0 15.0 14.0 10.0 13.0 8.0 17.0 16.0 11.0 7.0 4.0 1.0 35.0 30.0 35.0 12.0 16.0 11.0 13.0 5.0 TV (%) Press (%) Radio (%) Cinema (%)

Source: IRS 1998

TV, as it may be observed, remains the dominant medium reaching the rural masses. It cuts across all age groups, professions and gender. However, print has a greater reach as education level rises, and also in case of shop traders and the service occupation. Television in rural parts is mainly just the Doordarshan. The reach of radio may now increase; with more FM channels coming in; both listnership and ownership may improve. Also a lot of low-priced Chinese radios have entered Indian markets. So in the near future, radio as a medium has a good potential.

An interesting study:

This is a study done in Purulia (West Bengal), Erode (Tamil Nadu), and Kheeda(Gujarat). Television viewers are primarily below the age of 35 years. Of these, around 70% to 80% were males, 30% to 40% were illiterate, and majority were farmers or farm labourers by occupation. More than 60% of the audience watches national programmes. In the South and North, films and musical programmes are viewed, but in the South news items are more popular. Source: Kumar Sanal, Rural Marketing. In some villages, television is viewed in social gatherings; it is a community entertainment. Even the newspapers may be read at meetings or after prayer meets. Non-Conventional Media: Varied media have been used in rural markets. While Nirma relies on Television, HLL advertised its detergents on camels, and Asian Paints used painted horns of a bullock (Mukherjee, 1993). HLL displayed a huge Lifebuoy boat at Aalwaye, during the Nam boat race in Kerala. Colgate-Palmolive had its Brandon the kites during the kite-flying days in Gujarat. SPIC sponsored bullfights in Tamil Nadu. Castrol, an engine oil brand, made a movie with the cast having brand names. The message was woven into the movie plot. Vans Initially a used for election campaigns, vans are fast emerging communication medium in villages. Audio-visual vans and demonstrations also provide for interactive communication. Each van on an average covers three villages a day.

Colgate Palmolive India uses vans widely in its rural marketing. It has roughly rented 85 vans at a time. N. Jayaraman, Marketing Director of Marketing Colgate-Palmolive India concede that its van promotion has almost doubled toothpaste consumption in the rural markets. But there are several limitations in using vans: huge costs of van rentals, cost of identifying target villages elaborate logistics implementation costs. moreover, poor roads would make the trips difficult in especially in the monsoon seasons. may not be scalable- because what works in one village may not in another. Britannia Industries Ltd. closed it van operations, due to the above mentioned costs and the enormity of logistics needed. Product Education It is basically a product demonstration of its use and features. Educating the villager is a good way to reach the villager. HLL explains benefits of its shampoo; even gives free hair washes. Several outdoor media like wall paintings use of space on hand pumps for water, hoardings, etc. are effective for visibility. Melas and Haats: The two main important social institutions in rural India are melas and haats. Though the same product may bee available at a local retailer, 58% consumer visiting haats prefer to buy from haats for prices, quality, and variety (Kashyap, 1998). Melas: Melas are very integral to the rural socio-cultural milieu. They are a good opportunity to generate awareness and interest. 1. At least 20,000 melas are held annually in India (Ghosh,1994). 2. High attendance as these melas are generally associated with a festival or rites. It is about 100, million (Mukherjee,1993). 3. There is money with the farmer, as the melas are held around the sale of produce. 4. Women, important but difficult to make contact, can be reached very well at the fairs. 5. Finally, there is a mood to indulge. Haats: Haats are basically periodic markets, covering an average of 25 villages. They are mainly a market for necessities ranging from bamboo brooms, to pulses to aluminum wares to biscuits to cosmetics to barbers an cycle mechanics. The mood is very utilitarian.

They command on an average 4,000 people; there an average of 314 stalls and sale value of 2 million rupees per day. (Kashyap, 1998). About 47,000 haats are held in all over India (Kashyap Pradeep, 1998). While produce is bought in the first half of the day, urban consumer goods are bought in the second half of the day. 1. About 60% preferred haats to local shops on account of better prices, quality and variety. 2. Haats are useful when there is little or no presence of local shops. IMRB Study 3. Cost effective haats are more economical than selling through retailers even in villages with population up to 2000. 4. There is good business opportunity in the gudhi haat here there are cockfights and other entertainment. There are also snacks and drinks. At the haats the villagers are in a very utilitarian mood; haats are useful to sell lower-end toiletries, cosmetics, or for product launches, product education, and product trials. Number of melas and village size Village size 2,000 4,999 5,000+ No. of melas 10,300 4,300

Selecting the villages/haats/melas: 1. Select melas and haats near larger villages. An IMRB study showed a positive correlation between the population strength and purchasing power of a village. Selecting villages with 2,000 + population is just right. 2. Melas can help cover about half the rural population of India very cost effectively that the other media channels (Kashyap, 1998).

Conclusion In conclusion, it may be said that there is a wealth of opportunity in the rural India. The numbers are here to prove this. It is too huge a market to ignore. But the key now lies in understanding why, what and how of the rural consumer. It would be a blunder to assume and apply the same principles as of urban marketing. Rural marketing is completely different ball game talk about its consumer tastes, competition, demographics, communication media, socio-cultural milieu, or the infrastructure. The spread and heterogeneity further complicate matters. It is therefore apt to do a thorough groundwork before jumping headlong into the rural markets. To conclude, I would like to put down the case HLL: According to Mr. Shivakumar, HLL, the four factors which influence demand in rural India are - access, attitude, awareness and affluence. HLL has successfully used this to influence the rural market for its shampoos in sachets. The sachet strategy has proved so successful that, according to an ORG - MARG data, 95 per cent of total shampoo sales in rural India is by sachets. The company had developed a direct access to markets through wholesale channel and created awareness through media, demonstration and on ground contact. This changed the attitude of the villagers. Recommendation As regards the optimum media of communication, television ranks highest among cost effectiveness and reach as well. But television alone is not sufficient given the low levels of electricity penetration and frequent power fluctuations. Other non- traditional media like melas and vans will have to be used in the long run. These are more expensive, but they are direct and much more effective than any mass media. In general it may be said that mass media can create awareness, but the direct media provides the true push to sales. In most product categories, the marketers have to create usage this involves changing attitudes of the consumers. While in still others, the game is just about beating regional competition. Limitations of this study The main limitation was obtaining very recent data. Most of eth data has been 1998-99. Also due to the rather recent explosion of the FM markets, the reach and impact of radio as a mass medium could not be sufficiently gauged. There can actually be much more potential for radio as a medium. Finally due to time constraints, the research could not be extended to more product categories.

Appendix
I. Tata Kisan Kendra Tata Chemicals launched Tata Kisan Kendras (TKKs) as an integrated educational and training institution, and set up the first such kisan kendra in 1998. These centres were envisaged to be a one-stop platform for farmers, offering solutions from the stage of sowing of seeds to post-harvest management and the marketing of agricultural produce. Each TKK has an administrative office, a training hall, a crop clinic, a soil-testing laboratory, a research and development farm as well as a storage godown and an exhibition hall. The major categories of the various services provided by TKKs are: Agro input supplies Bulk blending Training and information dissemination Warehousing and storage Tata Kisan Kendras have influenced the lives of farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana through their integrated educational and training institutions. The agricultural products, services and information that TKKs provide, has improved the position of these farmers.

II. Penetration of High priced brands of Washing Powders and Toilet Soaps. Washing Powders Surf Wheel Nirma Penetration (% of households) 6.7 15.0 45.7 Penetration (% of households) 31.9 10.3 2.4 1.3

Toilet Soaps Lifebuoy Breeze Lux Pears

Source: Business World, April 7-12, 1999.

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