New Delhi   

Affluent Indians taking to luxury products: Survey

Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI: India's growing affluent class is splurging more on luxury and hi-end technology products. It is not only becoming more health-conscious but also spending freely on leisure trips.

]And it is doing this to make a "personal statement", states a latest survey conducted by Synovate, a leading global market intelligence company.

The annual "2006 Synovate Pan Asia Cross" (PAX) media survey covered some India-specific product and service ownership, purchase intention and lifestyle facts. It found that affluent Indians have shown an increase in their leisure travel, with the number of those taking one or more leisure trips in a year increasing by 16 per cent, and those taking three or more leisure trips increasing by a whopping 200 per cent.

Ownership of mobile phones with Internet access grew from 12.3 per cent to 13.7 per cent, while ownership of digital cameras and digital video cameras rose substantially over last year. The ownership of LCD or plasma televisions also increased from 1.7 per cent to 3.5 per cent, while sale of hi-end DVD players registered a robust growth. Ownership of hand-held PCs or personal digital assistants (PDAs) also jumped from 3.2 per cent to 6.7 per cent.

Similarly, ownership of luxury goods saw an increase from 15 per cent to 19 per cent, while those owning luxury jewellery (with price range of $ 500 and more) stood at 17 per cent of affluent Indians.

India's rich are also turning health-conscious and fighting obesity. The survey found that the number of people jogging and walking increased by 120 per cent, those hitting the gym jumped by 300 per cent and those taking to swimming by 250 per cent.

While trying to know more about people's attitudes to brands and advertising, the survey found that trust in advertising has grown by 4 per cent. But the number of those enjoying shopping decreased, while fascination with all things "designer" is also fading.

According to Synovate global media head Steve Garton, affluent Indians were spending on quality contemporary products, doing more of leisure travel, turning sporty and battling the bulge.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

BSES launches power saving initiative
MCD engineer was highly depressed
JNU all set to go `paperless'
Monitoring committee offers no relief to traders from sealing
Fresh polio cases send alarm bells ringing
Two arrested for abducting infant
Affluent Indians taking to luxury products: Survey
Alien waters, but close to the self
NDPL crackdown unearths power theft worth crores
Loyalists pitch in for Cabinet reshuffle
Vandalised, ruined, and now restored
Waltzing from one role to another
`Compassionate appointment to be done on merit basis'
Id is here
A treat to watch
"Mulayam resorting to melodramatic gestures"
Riot victims in dire straits
Around the City
Briefly
In the Capital Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu