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.








Sunday, December 1, 2013

Contemporary youth trends : the expression of freedom, among girls in India


Reading : What the young girls are reading in SEC2 cities  

50% of the erotic novel (ie. 50 Shades of Gray) readers in India are teenage girls. 75% of Satanism (read the previous report) followers in India are girls! The divorce rates are phenomenally increasing, mostly among young independent couples staying in cities like Bangalore and Mumbai. Being a divorcee and trying for second marriage, is de-stigmatized today and no more a social curse. The match-making sites like Second Shadi (second marriage) are in vogue. More so, a relationship status change (in social network like Facebook) from ‘engaged or married to’ to ‘independent’ indeed becomes a reason for celebration!  ‘you know, it’s like being a free bird, one can play around, one can establish her identity, without depending on somebody’ stated Rima Chanda( 21 years), a college student from Delhi University who recently discarded her long term ex boyfriend (‘he was not compassionate enough’ she argues) and dating many to select the most suitable one. ‘Well, they all are my good friends! And dating need not necessarily lead to bed (even if so, what’s wrong in it if both agrees… ) watching a movie together or driving down to Goa might also be called as dating, no? in fact, sometime, we all go out together!’ she adds. Her ‘best man’ is her school mate who she insists is not her ‘date’ but a good friend to be with and feel protected. This reminds me a super-hit Bollywood movie starring Ranveer Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.                 

In a country where the girls are still suppressed, abused, teased and traumatized, a section is practicing their new found freedom by various means.  The article in Time of India elaborates the surge of erotic book reading “What used to be a romantic sojourn through Mills & Boon novels has now been taken over by descriptive erotica. Though the such novels were were earlier available too, they were generally off the limits for the youngsters, who used to take help of their older friends or even photostat the whole book from someone instead of buying a new copy. Post 50 Shades of Grey, the things have changed completely. With all the hype created by the media blitz, '50 Shades' has been able to break through that taboo, so much so that it became a talking point, ranging from workplaces to college canteens… "When a friend of mine, who studies in Delhi, told me about the novel, I was very apprehensive about going to a shop and buying a copy myself. Hence, I had to ask her to courier me a copy from Delhi," says Sucheta Mitra, 23, who is pursuing her PG. "However, since then, the scenario has changed completely and now the girls are more open to going to the stores and asking for particular novels themselves, which was not the case earlier," she adds…. Concurring with the trend, Munna Toppo, a salesperson with a prominent book store in the city says, "Earlier the girls used to ask only for soft romantic novels like Mills and Boon series and other similar works. Rarely one used to ask for the novels of erotic genre but after '50 Shades', things have changed completely. More than 60% for our customers for such novels are girls, mostly college students. While some prefer to look at the shelves and scout for books themselves, those in a hurry simply mention the name of the book and pay the bill and leave."… Even the youngsters have no qualms accepting their choices and prefer calling it a result of the overall openness, a result of overall societal changes. "I don't understand why people should have any issue with what I'm reading or not. It should be totally my call and thankfully, the things are finally changing. Youngsters have always been very liberal in discussing sexual matters so why should people expect us to continue reading flowery stuff when everything is about more graphic and descriptive these days?," says Namrata Johri, 24 and an MBA student.
 
 

worshipping: The growing satan worshipping in North East, Kerala, Pondicherry, Goa…

Another report states that Satan worshipping is growing in North Eastarn India, mostly among girls. The Morung Express mentioned that in Nagaland ‘Among the people possessed by Satan and his evil spirits, girls consist of 75 per cent, women-5 per cent and men-20 per cent’ . Ingene correspondents investigated the socio psychology and understood that the concept of ‘Satan’s Bride’ which bestows perceived black magic power to express self and protest against social obligations (Churches and their strict norms) is attracting girls in NE India.
 
 

Relationship: Live in relationship and breakups

Time of India reported that the live in relationships in Bangalore are in raise and most of the live in relationships rotate around convenience rather than love! Hence an unwanted break-up is inevitable. Most live-in couples are in the 25-35 age group. To get accommodation, they declare themselves a married couple. Counsellors say such relationships are for financial and social security.

To get a house on rent, live-in couples tell landlords they are married. "They live like husband and wife, but their relationship has no legal sanction. When there is a break-up, we refer it to police as a case of cheating," says Aparna Poonesh, a counsellor at the Sahaya Vani. "It's for social and financial security. Nearly 60% of the cases referred to us revolve around sex," says Shetty. Most cases brought to the Sahaya Vani are from the corporate world. "They get to know each other mostly through social media, and share the same language and culture. With their peer groups away, they have individual choices and freedom," she adds.  In bangalore, Most live-in couples are from outside Karnataka. They find it convenient to live with someone from their own place. Things fall apart when the boy refuses to marry the girl. This technology hub is witnessing a sharp rise in cases of discord in live-in relationships. Most cases reported are those of people working in the software and BPO industries. "The number of cases of break-up in live-in relationships was 30 during 2011-12. This rose to 42 between April 2012 and March 2013. With an average of six cases reported every month, the number is expected to double this year," says Rani Shetty, chief coordinator with Mahila Sahaya Vani, a family counselling centre attached to city police.

The divorce cases are also increasing sharply (20% increase in Bangalore). Recently, Government started 3 more family courts to resolve the pending divorce cases. In a TOI report relationship expert Dr Shyam Bhat, "Earlier too, there were people trapped in unhappy marriages, but divorce was a dirty word back then, and there was social stigma attached to it. Nowadays, divorces are commonplace and there's no social stigma around it, especially in urban centres. Gender roles have evolved tremendously and rapidly, and both the man and the woman increasingly want to inhabit a more egalitarian society. The joint family system of the past afforded more time to a husband and wife to iron out their issues and differences. The child was unaffected because he had others in the family to fall back on." Dr Bhat adds, "Nowadays, we live in nuclear set-ups, where, more often than not, both the wife and husband are stressed out. Their lifestyles entail high stress. Divorce is the result of social change, not the cause of it. So, while, yes, more family courts might encourage some to end their marriages without giving it a chance, but, conversely, it might also help many who are trapped in miserable marriages to get out of them faster." PS Dinesh Kumar, civil lawyer and mediator, says, "Today, since most couples are working, their timings don't match, there is a lack of interpersonal communication. Most couples file for divorce with 'incompatibility' as their problem." Should, then, incompatibility be seen as a one-way street from where things invariably go downhill? Actor and businessman, Vishal Hegde, who got hitched recently, doesn't seem to think so.

 

 

 

Titan Watches survey: who gives the best gift

Recently, being the panelist of Titan Paradox panel I shared my insights on the socio psychology of gifting among the youth in India, here's the report: