The multifaceted and multitasking New Indian Woman (NIW) is driven not by money alone, but by achievement as well. While globalization has led to the evolution of the NIW in both urban and rural India, in terms of exposure, it has had an impact only on the new Indian urban woman. Her consumption concerns arising out of her newfangled roles, along with her exposure to new channels of information such as the Internet, necessitates marketers to address her needs separately. This IT-enabled NIW is bound to be an opportunity for marketers if their strategies are tailored accordingly.

The New Indian Woman (NIW) is a hardworking, multitasker who juggles her role as a wife, mother, career woman. She inherited this ability for multitasking from her mother, along with a confidence in that ability. However, because of various factors, she has also taken on the additional task of pursuing a career. The traditional role of woman as a wife, who would sew, cook and clean with part time help from a maid has eroded and given way to one who pursues her aspirations and is largely dependent on full time help at home. The NIW's role as a mother has new transformed into that of a facilitator. Unlike her mother, she is less of a guide and mentor to her children and more of a friend. As a career woman, the NIW is more ambitious. She is driven not only by money, but also by `achievement motivation'. It is only in her role as a female, that the NIW has not changed much. She is still vulnerable - she is still gender constrained.

While globalization led to the evolution of the NIW across both urban and rural India, the reasons for this transformation in each sector are different. Globalization had a direct impact on the urban NIW, in terms of exposure. The direct example of this was the proliferation of cable TV channels. Beaming international content into homes across the country, exposed the NIW to foreign cultural influences. The opening of the economy resulted in many MNCs entering the Indian market. The job market for qualified women opened up, attracting those seeking a career and improving their families' lifestyle. Her rising affluence and the influence of a multicultural workplace, also influenced her purchase behavior. She became more demanding in terms of quality, design, style and price. She also looked at products as a means of achieving her desired lifestyle.

Things did not move so fast for the rural NIW. For a long time, she had been mired in a world where the lack of basic facilities and economic opportunities limited her contact with the outside world. Life was a daily struggle for basic necessities like food, water and clothing, not to mention expenditure on items like seeds and fertilizers. The spread of cable TV brought a greater awareness of the world beyond their villages. It also created a greater knowledge about self-help schemes, different standards of living and the products that went with them. The success of rural self-help groups and microcredit schemes resulted in a rise in the earnings of the rural NIW.

Advertising Express Magazine, New Indian Woman, Indian Markets, Women Entrepreneurs, Financial Power, Electronic Goods, Healthier Environment, Ariel Power Wash Systems, Rin Supreme, Product Advertisements, Eureka Forbes, Water Softening Systems, Marketing Literate, Products and Services, Advertising Campaigns.