Guest Lecture by Mr. Pradeep Lokhande, CEO Rural Relations on ‘Understanding Rural    Markets and Marketing Strategies for Rural India’
November 22, 2007

Mr. Pradeep Lokahande is the founder of 'Rural Relations' - a rural consumer relation organization in Pune. He is a human encyclopedia of rural India and a great lover of Indian villages having personally visited over 5,000 villages in India. He has been recording their populations and capturing facts about markets, education systems and consumer habits in rural India.

Pradeep Lokhande is a unique social entrepreneur. He found that there is little information and market research available on the Indian villages, which is desired by many companies such as HLL, P&G, Marico, Asian Paints, Telco and DSP Merrill Lynch to tap the rural consumers. He therefore started the venture of visiting these villages to compile information about them and selling it to companies. With the earnings, he also provides educational facilities to these villages.

During his interaction with the participants at SPJIMR, Mr. Lokhande explained the five marketing strategies used in rural marketing. These include promotions in mela, mandies, haats and promotions using street plays ,drama, billboards , hoardings etc.

He further explained the consumer psychology of different age-groups coming to a Mela and threw light on how products should be positioned to target such customers.

The lecture added value to the participants' understanding of rural markets, which would help them in their endeavor of making a difference in the lives of rural India. .