Understanding consumers is a challenge in any country. But in a country as vast as India, with a one billion population, with wide disparities in income levels, with numerous languages and a deep cultural heritage, understanding consumers in a puzzle, a challenge and an opportunity all rolled into one.

Understanding consumers would depend to a large measure on the product-service need being addressed, the geographic area under consideration and the complexities of the unique Indian value paradigms.

The starting point for any such adventure will have to be consumer behaviour constructs developed for the western world. While many of the elements of a Howard and Sheth model or a Engel-Kollat-Blackwell model would hold true, Indian consumers would show several differences, depending on the price-value equations offered, cultural contradictions and familial issues. The process of understanding consumers has to involve a serious dialogue and interrogation of consumers. Consumer research methodologies have to be adapted to Indian markets and have to be used not just as a process step but with a serious view of finding out why the consumer behaves the way he/she does.

Brand-building is rooted in better understanding of consumers. The better the understanding the better chance the brand has to succeed in the complex Indian market.