Changes in Rural Marketing Through Information and Communication Technology

Abstract

It is worthwhile to note that more then 70% of Indian citizens are located in rural areas. Th e net result is either absence of achievement in efficient marketing or limited achievements in marketing. Since major population of any country determines the success orfailure of any brand of commodity or service, the importance of'rural marketing' should not be underestimated. While growth in Education and inji·astn,cture sectors have been impacting rural India over the y ears, the impact that Technology is going to have on Rural Marketing initiatives in the next few years is going to be tremendous. Technology is going to make a huge difference to the way we look at Rural India. The process has started and in the next f ew years there will be more progress in this area. How can information technology (IT) contribute to rural development'! What are the channels through which impacts can be realized, and what are the practical means for realizing potential benefits? This paper examines several ongoing projects that aim to provide IT-based services to rural populations in India.