Earlier, rural India was ignored by the marketers because of lack of infrastructure and other problems like illiteracy and poverty. Now, the scenario has completely changed with noticeable improvement in all the problem areas. It is generally seen that companies foraying into rural areas, engage in short-term sales-oriented activities. In order to be successful in the rural markets, organizations should design integrated campaigns. They should have the real desire to invest energy and capital in the rural areas on par with the urban market. They should also understand that the gestation period for positive results in the rural market is much more than that in the urban market. Therefore, they should enter the rural market only when they are well-equipped with patience to wait for sustained results.

The Indian rural market, having a huge population base, offers an immense opportunity to explore. The increasing affluence, supported by favorable monsoons and good agricultural output, is giving a good boost to the Indian rural economy, which is transforming into a large customer base for the corporates. Though rural India was ignored earlier, now it is no longer a segment that is largely poor, illiterate and innocent. As per available figures, 75% of the rural population is engaged in agriculture and they contribute approximately half of the total rural income, whereas, only 25% of the rural population is engaged in the non-farming sector and they contribute the other half of the total real income.

These figures reflect that the monsoon no longer influences the buying habits of the rural population. To explore more attractive markets, multinationals are targeting India's rural market. Some of the organizations which have already made their presence felt in the rural market are Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL), Coca-Cola, LG Electronics, Britannia, HDFC Standard Life Insurance, Philips and telecom companies like Reliance, Tata Indicom and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Advertising in Indian Rural Market, Hindustan Unilever Ltd., HUL, Urban markets, Indian Rural markets, Tata Indicom, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, BSNL, Coca-Cola, LG Electronics, HDFC Standard Life Insurance, Apple iPod, Communication strategy, Reliance.