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One-stop-shop for marketers: RK Swamy BBDO Guide to the Urban Market
MUMBAI: The third RK Swamy BBDO Guide to the Urban Market which was released yesterday gives extensive and multi-faceted information on purchasing power at the town level.
The Guide ranks Indian urban centers by town prosperity for the first time and also ranks them in order of prosperity at both state and all India level. Swamy has classified the country into AAA, AA, A, B, C and D towns outlining the purchasing power of each town. Also 18 parameters have been combined to indicate the town potential.
At a time when the market environment has changed dramatically and permanently and India has moved from a producer-driven economy to a consumer economy, this Guide comes as a welcome relief to marketers who are faced with competition at every level – in quality and value, in brand and commodity, in form and function, in the local, regional and national markets.
The guide expansively covers 77.3 per cent of the urban population covering 784 towns, 21 States, three Union territories with a population of 50,000 and above 50,000 and provides us with the purchasing power potential of each of them.
The information that has been collated from 14 different sources, such as the Census 2001, Economic Census, Market Information Survey Report, the Indian Readership Survey and more, provides a clear guide post to focus resources and thus help marketers achieve their stake.
The Guide not only gives the aggregate purchasing power in a special measure called the Market Potential Value, but also gives the quality of the market through another measure called the Market Intensity Index. A third index, the Media Exposure Index, gives relative coverage of the towns by mass media.
The RK Swamy BBDO Guide to Urban Markets has been validated using state level and major town level information and the correlations are high and statistically significant. They give confidence in the validity of Market Potential Value as a reliable measure. In order to make the test unbiased, data was used from sources that were different from those used in evaluating the town potential.
The Guide also enables the marketer to set town priorities within States going as deep as towns with a population of 50,000, substitute state-wise planning by town planning and allocate scarce resources by region.
A comprehensive methodology has been used to compile the information that the Guide provides and can be used not only for national planning, but also by regional and state-level offices for maximizing business success.
A one-stop-shop for marketers that provides clear guideposts to marketers and enables them to focus on scarce resources, this Guide provides a unique understanding of the urban markets.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
