Some nuggets on the Indian youth

20% of global youth

population is Indian

17% of Global youth population is

Chinese

INDIA 26 USA 37 UK 40 CHINA 36

Over 50% of India is young and the median age of the

nation is 26, below the global average

Individualist

yet collective

Modern yet

rooted

Jumping with

a safety net

Technology‟s role

extended beyond it‟s

function

Seek

opportunities

that lead to

dramatic

transformations

The cultural codes undergirding the Indian youth

“They seem self absorbed but deep down they love to be

part of groups”

Antti Ohrling, Chairman, Blyk Media

Individualist

yet collectiveStanding out from the rest and being recognized is a critical

motivation, especially for the young. Sunita Gogoy, an

Asamese participant in the dance reality show, Dance India

Dance on Zee TV confessed that her biggest motivation was

to prove to skeptics back home that it was worth her while

to put time and effort into perfecting her dance. Even in the

remote villages today, youth have the need to stand out and

be noticed.

- Dheeraj Sinha

The Indian youth are highly motivated by limitless aspiration. The high aspiration levels,

accompanied by a motto of “make my family proud” (as seeded by parents) not only makes the

youth in India focused and career centric but also the most family oriented youth in the world.

A recent Global TGI report states that India scores highest (76%) in the rating of “it is

important my family thinks I‟m doing well”.

USA Mexico Brazil Germany Russia Turkey China India Japan

What will better increase your chances of succeeding in today's world:

Being true to who you are or 882 967 902 892 882 862 64 65 72

Being the person others think you should be

121 4 101 111 121 141 366 356 28

18-24 year old Indians are being exposed to- and are

interested in- new experiences, they‟re still holding on to

traditional values as well. In a sense, they want to

prove to the West the importance of the values they‟ve

always held.

– Lenovo 18-24 year olds Global Persona study by The

Futures Company

Youngsters do not simply consume a trend but filter it through a unique osmosis process

(slow and time consuming) where it is treated with an Indian flavor and mixed with the

finer elements of age old customs and then ultimately is readied for consumption. One of

the finest example of this phenomenon is the way Indians create a unique ensemble

with the ubiquitous denim jeans. The simplest combination can be a Kurta with wood or

glass beads worn around the neck, a Swatch on the wrist, Levi‟s, Kolhapuri footwear,

sunshine stones, a gold ring on the finger (gifted by the grandparents), a red charm

thread around the neck or wrist and so on. It is an interesting and heady mix-trix of

fashion, tradition, spirituality and family values. This mix-trix pervades every aspect of

the lifestyle of Indian youth be it in food or fabric. Pizza retail chains struggled to get

Indian youth habituated to pizzas until they came up with the unique chicken tikka

pizza, paneer tikka pizza, tandoori pizza and so on. Coke came out with Coke and

Samosa/Dosa combo.

– Kaustav Sengupta, Youth Researcher

Modern

yet

rooted

Youth in India reinvent ideas by adding their own

flavor to an existing habit or a need. They venture

into new businesses by adding a modern/new twist to

an existing business model. For example, Gunjan

Gupta, an award-winning furniture designer takes

something that‟s rooted in traditional Indian culture

and adds a modern, unique perspective to it.

- Times Crest

“In the choice of role models, youth are very different. Their role

models are achievers from various walks of life. They follow those

whom they can associate with. So, many often they look up to sports

and film personalities.

- MTV Youth Report

Jumping

with a

safety net

While they want to be entrepreneurs, they make

sure they are armed with the right education and

skill sets before they set up their own shop

- AFAQS MTV Youth Report

This is the generation that seamlessly integrates technology in

their life that allows them to multitask for hours each day. If the

generation gone by is wondering where this generation gets the

time and energy for academics and social life; they amaze you

with aplomb managing all of that and more. “Today, the youth has

the advantage of technology and available options to do much

more than many cam imagine

- Aditya Swamy, Channel head MTV India

India buys into technology through all sorts of surrogates

and meaning systems but rarely only for technology itself.

Marketing the graphic vision of digital technology, rich with

high tech imagery of circuits and chips and gizmos, will

likely not be as effective with Indian consumers, technology

must be presented as it will be used, interwoven with

everyday life, as an enabler of new things and new ways of

doing old things.

Technology‟s

role extended

beyond it‟s

function

“I have what it takes to earn the respect of my peers. 400 GB of movies.”

- MTV Play.in

The younger India today is clearly seeking a

much more fertile work environment that offers a

non-linear growth path; a job that brings them

not just money but fame and fun as well

- From the book „Consumer India‟

The particular desire of today‟s youth is to be extraordinary in everything they do.

Their dreams are non-linear and are being supported by high starting salaries, easy

availability of finance and an ever expanding array of consumption choices. A

middle class youth proclaimed that his dream was to own four apartments in all the

four metropolitan cities in India. On being quizzed further as to how exactly he

planned to achieve this, he had no clear plans but his confidence and optimism

remained unfazed.

- MTV Youth Study

Seek

opportunities

that lead to

dramatic

transformations

Today‟s Indian youth do not shy away from

taking shortcuts or exploring multiple paths;

they are ready to do whatever it takes to reach

their goals.

- Consumer India

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