Know these guys?

You probably think you do, but don't bet on it. In a new India, it is a new Indian male who is rising.

In Chennai, a 26-year-old industrial engineer returns from the US to set up—no, not a consulting firm but—a tattoo shop; in Delhi, a 34-year-old public relations professional routinely spends up to 20 per cent of his monthly salary on shopping because he can’t resist the lure of the malls in his neighbourhood; in Bangalore, a government employee is approaching 60, but still talks of taking life as it comes.

If you thought you knew the Indian male then, well, think again. The opening up of India 16 years ago and the subsequent global impact on its economy and society have altered the mental make-up of Indian men as well. In a country where not just 52 per cent of its population is men but that’s also male dominated, any changes in the male psyche have significance for everyone, but especially marketers.

So in June, Business Today and Monitoring and Research Systems (MaRS), a Mumbai-based research firm set up by ORGMARG’s former President Raghu Roy, decided to find out how the Indian male is changing.

Although there are no baseline figures for us to compare our results against, the survey, which covered 11,370 working men and 35 cities and towns (see How We Did It on page 144), has thrown up several startling insights into the mind of the Indian male, even as it has shattered some stereotypes.

In the package that follows, we begin with the survey findings per se and then go on to explore some of the most important themes that have emerged from the survey. In short, what the survey indicates is that while the Indian male is still conservative in his beliefs, he has become highly ambitious for himself, his family and perhaps the country. In an India on the move, its men are keeping pace.

Consumption habits

37% men who describe themselves as highly materialistic; Chennai takes the cake at 69%

50% men in North who’d like to be rich enough to buy anything they want

49% men who are highly price conscious; Delhi exceeds the average at 63%

42% men who are highly brand conscious; Chennai beats other cities at 71%

Workplace worries

63% men who said money is the most important criterion in choosing their employer

63% men who measure their success by the kind of career they have

64% married men worry about job security; 9% worry about their physical appearence

 80% men in North who believe hard work is no guarantee for success

Social instincts

75% men who cannot say what level of support they can expect from their children

56% men who believe arranged marriages are the best

50% men who believe women should stay at home

42% 55 year-plus men who don't know what they will do after retirement