Article · ~12 min read

Bharat Startups: The Price Sensitive Customer

IIMA Ventures · IIMA Ventures Insights Free Intermediate India

A field study of startups serving low and middle income Indian customers, focused squarely on the price sensitive buyer. It draws out a key nuance for your idea: willingness to pay is not the same as ability to pay, and it rises only after value is felt. Practical if you are building for Bharat rather than just metro India1.

  • Willingness to pay grows only after the customer experiences the value
  • Value for money, not cheapness, is what wins the price sensitive buyer
  • Payment models like EMI and subscription can bridge the affordability gap

The question it answers

  1. What makes an Indian startup idea work when the market is so price-sensitive?

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