Checking Your Privileges: India’s Middle Class Consumers | Article

In July 2023, I went to India for an ethnographic project, spending time with people in their homes, trying to understand their lives and attitudes, and investigating why they buy the premium version of our client’s product.

We didn’t have a specific wealth quota, but we did expect to appeal to the more affluent target group, who were willing and able to pay more for a premium product.

I would moderate because I don’t see myself as British, but as ‘tricultural’, connected to my Indian, African and British roots. I was born in Malawi, raised in the UK and my family is from India. I may only speak one language, English, but I code with my accent, body language and cultural references. I know how to recognise and respond to cultural differences and how to connect with people from all walks of life.

Unlocking perspectives

Our first ethnography was with Sundharani. We went to a less affluent part of town, passed a slightly battered Maruti Swift car in the carport and went upstairs to the apartment on the second floor. We were greeted by Sundharani’s husband and welcomed into a very small, neat front room. By now my heart sank into my shoes. I thought, “Oh no, do we have a mis-recruit here?”

Then we started talking and observing. We looked at the pictures on the wall, from her work trips to the US and the UK. One of Sundharani’s life goals is to live abroad, and she is working hard to achieve this, hoping to get her company placed in the US. We talked about her car. She is the first in her family to own a car and takes pride in being able to drive her family and visitors from her hometown around town when they come to visit.

Her parents and husband have always supported her and encouraged her to strive for more. She is inspired by her boss, whom she often quotes. He tells her that it is important to pay more for premium products because they will be of good quality.

Challenging Prejudices and Embracing Humility

I was humbled. Sundharani was not a misrecruit, she was exactly the right customer for the premium product, and I had already made some snap judgments before I even met her.

Every day we visited more people like Sundharani, who were striving to improve themselves and their families. They were progressive in their thinking, proud to be able to comfort their parents in their final years, and they saw education as the gateway to progress.

It dawned on me that this is India’s rising middle class. I’ve read articles in The Economist on this topic and worked on global insight briefs that encompass India’s middle class and their growing disposable incomes. I’ve travelled back and forth to India my whole life and lived there for a year, so I thought I understood what India’s rising middle class is – but the reality is that the India I know and the circles I move in are very different. I can’t fully understand every layer of Indian society, and nor should I. My role is to go into people’s projects and homes without bias or judgement.

As I boarded my flight back to the UK, I had time to reflect, and realised that with years of international insight experience, it is important to keep learning and evolving. I have two very simple takeaways:

1. Check your biases: We all have them. Our upbringings and the cultures and influences that have shaped us all create biases. Even being “from” a culture is itself a bias. That’s not a bad thing; it’s inevitable. It’s crucial to acknowledge and challenge preconceived notions that can cloud our understanding of diverse populations. In the boardroom of a company, where our voices represent participants, acknowledging and reducing biases is essential to unbiased insights.
2. Stay Open: Be open to change, new ideas, and truths. Cultural landscapes evolve and what was true in the past may not reflect current reality. By staying open to change and new perspectives, we can uncover opportunities that can help our clients make an impact.
   I encourage everyone to think about and acknowledge their own biases, because we all have them. Stay open to new possibilities, because that’s how we come to really great insights.

Dinisha Cherodian is Strategic Director at BAMM