Rural India powers FMCG’s next growth wave

Over the past decade, rural India has emerged as a dynamic growth engine for the ₹5-lakh-crore FMCG sector, with rising adoption of aspirational products like toilet cleaners, floor cleaners, and bottled soft drinks.

As per Kantar, this shift reflects both improved access and evolving consumer mindsets, where rural shoppers are trading up, experimenting with new formats, and showing brand loyalty.

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Over the last ten years, rural India has witnessed a notable transformation in consumer behaviour. Floor cleaner penetration has risen dramatically from a mere 1% to 17%, while toilet cleaners have seen a surge from 7% to over 40%, as per Kantar data.

Alongside this, Kantar’s insights also reveal that as rural consumers embraced newer product categories such as toilet cleaners, floor cleaners, and bottled soft drinks, there was a decline in their average consumption of traditional mass-market items like salt, hair oils, and detergents.

Rural India is now outpacing urban regions in consumption growth across several FMCG segments, including personal hygiene, home cleaning, packaged snacks, bottled soft drinks, insecticides, skin creams, and hair colourants. This trend signals a shift in the narrative surrounding India’s ₹5-lakh-crore FMCG sector. No longer driven solely by necessity, rural consumers are now making more aspirational choices. They are trying new product formats, exhibiting brand loyalty, and even moving toward premium offerings.

This evolution is driven by a mix of better access and shifting aspirations. “More brands are reaching deeper into Bharat,” says Manoj Menon, director, commercial, South Asia, Kantar Worldpanel, who observes that small towns and villages are increasingly drawing attention from both established and emerging brands. Enhanced logistics, distribution, and retail infrastructure have made products more visible and accessible in rural markets than they were five years ago.

However, the change is not just about physical access—it’s also about evolving mindsets. Menon highlights how categories such as personal and home hygiene reflect this shift. While affordability still matters, rural consumers are increasingly finding a balance between budget constraints and aspirational desires. As a result, small and pocket-friendly pack sizes have become essential. Products like fabric conditioners, skin creams, and hair conditioners are witnessing faster growth in rural areas in these smaller formats, echoing urban consumer patterns.

“Rural consumers are now spending more willingly,” he says. “They are paying 4 more per kg for personal hygiene than they were a year ago.”

Interestingly, though aspirations are rising across both markets, rural and urban FMCG preferences are diverging. Kantar data shows that smaller, local brands are gaining traction in urban India, growing 8.4% in FY25. Meanwhile, in rural markets, large, listed FMCG companies are gaining the upper hand, growing 5.1% compared to just 2.3% for smaller brands. In contrast, big brands grew only 2.1% in urban markets during the same period. The message is clear: rural consumers, becoming more brand-conscious, are placing their trust in familiar, established names—allowing major players to expand their rural footprint.

In response to this evolving landscape, companies are recalibrating their targeting strategies and communication approaches.

Over the long term, Kantar projects that rural growth will not only match urban expansion but may even surpass it slightly. For companies like Mysore Deep Perfumery House and Zed Black, rural India has evolved beyond a mere volume market. Even premium offerings such as bamboo-less incense sticks and wellness-oriented aroma products are gaining popularity in rural segments. The company has also introduced resealable zipper pouches and monthly value packs for added convenience.