MAM
Rural India sees a three-fold growth in the usage of e-commerce apps: Report
Mumbai: Rural India is on the periphery of an e-commerce revolution. There has been a massive increase in the number of users of e-commerce apps in the last six to eight months, according to the latest edition of the Rural Barometer Report. The rural population is now looking at digital as a medium that provides economically valuable information/services with digital consumption shifting beyond basic services such as entertainment and social media, the report stated.
Insights and consulting company Kantar, along with GroupM’s rural and experiential marketing unit- Dialogue Factory has unveiled the third edition of its bi-annual report. It explores concerns about the post-pandemic impact on consumer behaviour and purchase patterns across rural India.
According to the report, digital financial inclusion continues to see a growing footprint, and payment apps especially have created a fertile ground for the advancement of e-commerce in rural hinterlands.
More vocational information is being consumed via the internet, though entertainment and social media remain the dominant factors of internet usage, said the report. There is an emerging constituency of technology-enabled farmers, who are using digital apps to track their crops. The Rural Barometer Report indicates that five per cent of farmers were using crop monitoring apps and this digital adoption for crop monitoring is the strongest in the states of Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat.
Some of the other key highlights of this latest version of the Rural Barometer Report are:
FMCG witnessing the resurgence of indulgence and vanity categories: The pandemic had profoundly changed FMCG spending in rural India. Through the lockdown and the first half of 2021, consumers continued to prioritise health and hygiene categories under uncertain financial circumstances. As a result, indulgence and vanity categories remained subdued until the first half of 2021. The report shows a rebalancing of the FMCG spends. Food categories such as biscuits and chocolates, snacking, etc, and personal care and beauty categories bounced back and show positive momentum for growth.
On the flipside, health and nutrition, along with job security remain a concern. The findings show that the nutrition and health of one in five children are of concern. Due to continued patriarchal notions, the girl child is not being provided a sufficient protein-based diet.
In terms of sentiments regarding job security, lower social classes (NCCS CDE) and rural youth (18-24-year-olds) have been the most affected, as per the report.
“The pandemic has changed ways of living for rural India,” said Dialogue Factory head of experiential marketing- APAC Dalveer Singh. “We see our rural citizens more vigilant about their consumption patterns. As per the Rural Covid Barometer Report 2021, rural India is more confident in recovery and adopting new technology and putting it to the right use. There are existing concerns like nutrition and health of children in rural areas but thanks to government intervention, rural purchasing power has improved.”
“Close to a fifth of rural India is concerned about the health parameters of their children. We’ve also witnessed rebalancing in FMCG spending. With technology penetrating further and rural consumers evolving in this digital and e-commerce led era, we see a brighter tomorrow in rural regions,” Singh further said.
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
