Now Reading: Indian consumers want premium but with value, say industry leaders
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Indian consumers want premium but with value, say industry leaders
Indian consumers want premium but with value, say industry leaders
Top executives from hospitality, luxury cars, dairy and real estate sectors said the new Indian consumer is aspirational but value-conscious, quality-focused and intolerant of poor service and pricing mismatches. The discussion at…
Top executives from hospitality, luxury cars, dairy and real estate sectors said the new Indian consumer is aspirational but value-conscious, quality-focused and intolerant of poor service and pricing mismatches. The discussion at the ET World Leaders Forum covered how businesses must adapt to consumers who seek premium experiences but demand clear value for money, with behaviour varying across states, cities and even households.
Mercedes-Benz India's Santosh Iyer noted customers now expect brands to demonstrate value more visibly and that tolerance for poor quality relative to price has vanished. Amul's Jayen Mehta highlighted that even a 5% annual shift from loose to packaged dairy could bring 3.5 crore litres per day into the formal sector. IHCL's Puneet Chhatwal said hospitality is seeing the highest private capex in five years, directed at hotels in tier-II and -III cities and new airports.
Casagrand's Arun Mn said homebuyers demand lifestyle amenities like sports and wellness facilities. The panel concluded that businesses cannot capture the buying patterns of 1.4 billion consumers through one lens and must rapidly offer value combined with quality and aspiration across product categories.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The panel's insights reflect a structural shift in India's consumption story that has been building over the past decade. Rising incomes, better infrastructure in smaller cities and greater exposure through travel and digital media have created a more discerning buyer base across income levels. The hospitality sector's capital expenditure surge into tier-II and -III cities signals that demand is no longer metro-centric. The key number to watch is the 3.5 crore litres per day shift from loose to packaged dairy that Amul's managing director flagged: if even a fraction of that materialises, it would reshape food processing supply chains. The next concrete signal will be capex announcements in upcoming quarterly results of listed hospitality and real estate firms.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
