About INgene blog : First ever Indian Youth trend Insights blog

About INgene : First ever Indian Youth trend Insights blog:
This blog explores the detailed characteristics of Young-India and explains the finer & crucial differences they have with their global peers. The blog also establishes the theory of “adopted differentiation” (Copyright Kaustav SG,2007) and how the Indian & Inglodian youth are using this as a tool to differentiate themselves from the “aam aadmi” (mass population of India) to establish their new found identity.

The term youth refers to persons who are no longer children and not yet adults. Used colloquially, however the term generally refers to a broader, more ambiguous field of reference- from the physically adolescent to those in their late twenties.
Though superficially the youth all over the world exhibits similar [degree of] attitude, [traits of] interests & [deliverance of] opinion but a detailed observation reveals the finer differential characteristics which are crucial and often ignored while targeting this group as a valued consumer base. India is one of the youngest countries in the world with 60% of its population less then 24 years of age and is charted as the most prospective destination for the retail investment in the A. T. Kearney’s Global Retail Opportunity Report, 2007. With the first ever non-socialistic generation’s thriving aspiration & new found money power combined with steadily growing GDP, bubbling IT industry and increasing list of confident young entrepreneurs, the scenario appears very lucrative for the global and local retailers to target the “Youngisthan” (young-India). But, the secret remains in the understanding of the finer AIOs of this generation. The Indian youth segment roughly estimates close to 250million (between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five) and can be broadly divided (socio-psychologically) into three categories: the Bharatiyas, the Indians & the Inglodians (copyright Kaustav SG 2008). The Bharatiyas estimating 67% of the young population lives in the rural (R1, R2 to R4 SEC) areas with least influence of globalization, high traditional values. They are least economically privileged, most family oriented Bollywood influenced generation. The Indians constitute 31.5% (A, B,C, D & E SEC) and have moderate global influence. They are well aware of the global trends but rooted to the Indian family values, customs and ethos. The Inglodians are basically the creamy layers (A1,A SEC) and marginal (1.5% or roughly three million) in number though they are strongly growing (70% growth rate). Inglodians are affluent and consume most of the trendy & luxury items. They are internet savvy & the believers of global-village (a place where there is no difference between east & west, developing & developed countries etc.), highly influenced by the western music, food, fashion & culture yet Indian at heart.








Monday, October 27, 2008

Be gadgeted

The gizmos and gadgets are next to the heart for Indian youth. They literally breathe in it. Cell phone is the most popular gadget with the highest usage (because of its affordability, attractive facilities like sms, games, camera, music & downloads). My recent survey reveals that more than 62% Indian & Inglodian youth maintain more then one mobiles. One exclusively for communication with the parents and other for the peers. The recent “trend” is to obtain the apple i-phone even if most of the options are not used. Laptops are considered as an essential gadget for them and it crossed the level of being a show-off gadget to the utility gadget. I-pod is not a must have but considered as a “show-off” gadget. The usage of wrist watch is going down (the time can now be checked in mobile, laptops or even in the places of hang-out). The watch is now a “show off” gadget if it’s a prestigious brand like Swatch and the emphasis is given more into the “look & brand value” rather than the technology & quality.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

True Swadeshis; smart patriotism

With continuous global exposure through internet and hundreds of satellite channels, frequent abroad visit for jobs (projects, training, services and even reward packages) and academics the Indian youth are becoming more India-oriented. As drishtikona.com reports “Indian executives dread foreign postings: Gone are the days when an overseas posting would necessarily bring cheer. While Indian CEOs often don’t want to move, companies insist these postings are a means of giving their senior executives international exposure”. The AC Nielsen survey conducted on the occasion of the 60th year of Independence said 89 per cent respondents wished to be reborn as Indians if they were given a choice. The respondents felt India has improved its position in the past decades in the fields of business and commerce (57 per cent), science and technology (43 per cent) and education (19 per cent). The recent downfall of economy in USA and Europe strengthens the feeling of remaining in India rather then dreaming of migrating abroad unlike the earlier generation. The method of expression of patriotism also has largely changed. Even the Bollywood movies are no more bluntly patriotic but smartly patriotic where saving a country doesn’t necessarily means of die for it over the Tiranga but contributing to its economical growth and prosperity.
One respondent in Mumbai exclaims rather astonishingly, “Rebirth? yah…in India…where else u have d guts to spit on street…and freedom to break d speed limit with a small tips to the policewala…listen, Dubai and Singapore are great for shopping, Paris, Milan and New York are sweet to have fun but living is cool in India…”

This attitude is opposite to the attitude of earlier generation who aspired to immigrate...settle down to some dream land...in west.

The patriotism is now expressed through becoming sensitive to social issues. Below are a few tee-shirts designed and marketed by The Doers (http://thedoers.blogspot.com/), a group of young designers promoting the spirit of Mumbai and addressing various social / health related issues. Take a look:











(be proud of your heritage)


(this tee collection celebrates the spirit of Mumbai...after the serial bomb blasts in train)


All designs and photographs are copyright to http://tshirtsdonebydoers.blogspot.com

Friday, October 24, 2008

exhibitionism is GORWING

With the ever-growing confidence level and money power Indian youth are becoming habitual exhibitionists. As the population of novo riches are growing in the segment of Inglodians the difference in the pattern of exhibitionism is also increasing in between them and the traditionally rich Indian youth; where the former is showing off extravagance through conspicuous consumption and the later is resorting into more “antique” and traditionally own family wealth through elegant yet not-so-loud (“if you have the eyes you will see it”) exhibitionism.

“Its all about celebrating yourself, feeling good about who and what you are, about finally coming to your own”, is how Sakhi Rao, a first year college student chooses to describe what liberation in 21st century India means to her. A fair enough description, except that her idea of celebrating herself begins and ends with “making sure that in every room I walk into, I turn heads”. “For years we have been pushed behind the veil, and now we are hitting back with a vengeance” she says (The Week).

As Hebdige once stated “the politics of youth culture is the politics of metaphor…it forms up space between surveillance and the evasion of surveillance, it translates the fact of being under scrutiny into the pleasure of being watched. It is a hiding in the light”. The fine balance between the pleasure of “showing off” (to the peers & other half of India) and “hiding in the light” is the factor which is shaping the consumerism of young India.

Friday, October 10, 2008

I LOVE ME

As I have mentioned in my post (dtd. 5th Sept.2008)the “I Love Me” attitude is picking up among Indian Youth…a core lifestyle trend…the Narcissism is at high…
A discussion / opinion pole in The Hindu Metro plus is emphasizing in it...

The recent issue of PINK- India Today Magazine depicts an young couple in cover page and the advertisement of “Luxurious care …assisted living” (ahh…a new definition of Old Age Home) in the back…and launching at the right place...BANGALORE...hub of IT Culture in India...

Cocooning is growing…

The Hindu-Metroplus,Wednesday,1st October,2008


Pink-India Today, Oct.2008