Page 3 - Rural India

Rapid rise in number of students cycling to school, girls lead, finds study

There has been a rapid rise in the number of students cycling to school in rural areas and the "silent revolution" is being led by girls, especially in Bihar and West Bengal, new research has found. The scholars at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and the Narsee Monji Institute of Management Studies also found strong evidence that bicycle distribution schemes (BDS) have helped increase cycling in states where these were implemented and the biggest beneficiaries were rural girls. According to Srishti Agrawal, a PhD scholar at IIT-Delhi's Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Centre, gender norms, affordability of bicycles, distance to school, and safety on roads are likely the major determinants of cycling to school in India. "Nationally, cycling to school levels increased from 6.6 per cent to 11.2 per cent over the decade (2007 to 2017). These levels nearly doubled in rural India (6.3 per cent to 12.3 per cent) while remaining stable (7.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent) i

Community-led nutrition initiatives in rural India can empower women: Study

In the Pindwara village of Rajasthan, a grassroots-level initiative led by local women has transformed the community's approach to nutrition. The women, part of a self-help group, began cultivating kitchen gardens to ensure a steady supply of diverse and nutritious food for their families. These gardens now yield a variety of fruits and vegetables, contributing to a balanced diet and reducing the community's dependence on market-bought food items, which are often less nutritious. This initiative has not only improved health, but has also empowered women by giving them control over their family's nutrition. Similarly, in the tribal regions of Chhattisgarh, a collective effort by local community leaders has revitalised traditional agricultural practices. The community has reintroduced indigenous crops like millets and pulses, which are more resilient to the changing climate and require fewer resources to cultivate. These crops are rich in essential nutrients and have historically be

Shopsy intensifies efforts to tap millions of shoppers in rural India

The primary focus is on the Bharat consumer, particularly households with an annual income of less than Rs 10 lakh

From Dabur to Britannia, FMCG firms begin to see volumes growth revival

Companies expect the trend of rural outpacing urban to continue

Govt focus on agri, rural incomes to sustain tractor demand: Swaraj Engines

The government's focus on improving the state of agriculture in India and several initiatives taken by it to drive higher rural incomes are likely to support to sustain the tractor demand momentum despite industry sales witnessing a decline of 7 per cent, according to Swaraj Engines Ltd. The company, which supplies diesel engines for tractors manufactured by M&M Swaraj Division, in its annual report for 2023-24, said the growing horticultural segment in the country also offers good opportunities to increase tractor penetration in the lower horsepower (HP) market. "The domestic tractor industry for FY24 at 8,75,700 units registered a degrowth of 7 per cent over last year's (FY23) 9,45,300 units mainly because of erratic and uneven rainfall distribution that impacted kharif output, coupled with the high industry base of FY23," it said. On the outlook and opportunities, Swaraj Engines in its management discussion and analysis said factors like increasing affordability with adequate ..

Easing inflation no respite for people's financial woes: Kantar report

Rural market 'bright spot' for consumer goods products, says consumer research firm

Rural India will continue to outpace urban expansion in FMCG sales: Kantar

Rural India remains a "bright star" for the growth of fast-moving consumer goods sales and the region is expected to maintain better pace of expansion than urban areas in the second quarter of 2024, a report said on Friday. According to a report from data, insights and consulting firm Kantar, rural India will maintain "better growth levels" racing ahead of the urban markets for FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies in the second quarter (April-June) of 2024. Terming the rural market as a "bright star", the report said it had a "resurgence" in 2024. While urban is likely to remain under stress, the rural may consolidate its position in second quarter of the year, it said. This growth in the rural areas is helped by region-centric measures by the government in the interim budget earlier this year, which provided stability. Moreover, populist measures are expected by some states which are going to face elections this year, said Kantar FMCG pulse report for Q2. "We should also b

World Bank working paper advocates increased devolution for Panchayats

Empowering ward members (WMs) within village councils, who currently lack financial resources and act merely as rubber stamps, is another recommendation

SUVs dominate rural India: Hyundai's sales in January-April 2024 surge

In the first four months of this year, SUVs like the Exter, Venue, and Creta made up 67 per cent of Hyundai's rural sales, doubling their share since 2020

Putting rural India first

Amarjeet Sinha draws on four decades of work experience as a bureaucrat, offering valuable lessons for effective programme delivery in poverty reduction and gender empowerment in his book

Will there be a special package for rural India in interim Budget?

The Interim Budget 2024-25, slated for announcement on February 1, will likely see the central government focus on issues close to rural India's heart

Tightened belts, half-filled shelves: The story of rural retail demand

As crop woes hit farm incomes, austerity defined the mood in India's villages, impacting small stores and FMCG giants alike

Some green shoots, but rural a stressor for FMCG companies: Top honchos

Top honchos say urban demand continues to grow

Rural retail inflation higher than urban in 18 of the past 22 months

In October 2023, rural inflation stood at 5.12 per cent against urban inflation at 4.62 per cent

Lower inflation's full impact likely from Q3: Dabur India's Mohit Malhotra

The home-grown fast-moving consumer goods major also anticipates a good festival season to aid its growth in the December quarter

Brands seeing increased opportunities to tap into Tier-2, Tier-3 cities

Reasons like the proliferation of smartphones and access to the internet in smaller towns have also helped push up demand

Health services firm CureBay plans expansion in rural Odisha, Chhattisgarh

Startup has raised Rs 61 crore in financing from Elevar Equity, Incred and angel investors

Cooperative movement brought economic revival in rural India: Om Birla

Speaking on the occasion, Birla thanked the farming community, especially the women who had turned up in large numbers to attend the function

CM Gehlot ups honorarium for women in rural livelihood projects by 15%

Rajasthan Assembly elections 2023: Ahead of the elections, CM Ashok Gehlot provides interest-free loans to women engaged in rural livelihood projects

78% parents in rural India want their daughters to be at least graduate

At least 78 per cent parents in rural India aspire to educate their daughters till graduation and beyond, according to a survey report. The "State of Elementary Education in Rural India-2022" report, based on the survey of 6,229 rural households from across 20 states, was released by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan here on Tuesday evening. "Analyzing the gender distribution of the children, the findings indicate that parents exhibit a similar inclination for both their female and male children to pursue advanced education, including technical degrees, graduation, and postgraduation degrees. Parents of 82 per cent of boys and 78 per cent of girls want to educate their children to graduation and above," it said. The survey revealed, out of the total dropped-out children, around one-fourth of male children discontinued their education during primary schooling. "Comparatively, the dropout rate at that stage was higher for female children, reaching 35 per cent. A higher ...