Go Ruralis the marketing mantra of many organizations today. However, until a few years back, the rural markets were mostly ignored and were not considered profitable. But with many Indian brands entering into the rural markets, this myth has now been completely removed. Nonetheless, operating in a rural area is not an easy task and requires serious efforts. Many companies have failed to target their strategies in the correct direction, and have hence faced tough times. This article aims to highlight the significance of rural markets and strategies to overcome the obstacles and operate profitably.

Over the past few years, the rural markets have emerged as one of the most lucrative markets for Indian companies. In the recent past, many organizations have forayed into rural areas and this has proved fruitful and beneficial for them. The Indian rural markets provide abundant opportunities for organizations to enter and operate profitably. The large population base of rural India enables the companies to earn a reasonable amount of revenue. According to a white paper prepared by CII-Technopak, the rural market grew at an impressive 25% in the year 2008 and is expected to have approximately 720-790 million customers with a size of US$425 bn in the year 2010-11. Rural India has emerged as a large market for numerous goods and services such as financial services, FMCG, healthcare and telecommunications. In today's competitive scenario, the rural markets are as vital as the urban markets for marketers.

The rural markets have become a favorable destination for marketing companies because of the following reasons:

The level of competition in the urban markets has intensified and is increasing tremendously. It is also stated by many experts that the urban markets are almost saturated. Therefore, penetration into rural markets is inevitable for sustained business growth. The rural markets are relatively untapped and this provides better scope for growth.

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