Influence of Culture and Belief On Consumer Behavior in India

i
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
2014
INFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND
BELIEF ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
IN INDIA

F O R E S C H O O L O F MA N A G E ME N T
SUBMITTED BY:
Group 1
SAHIL WADHWA (221123)
SHIVANI GOEL (221137)
SIMARNEET KAUR WAHI (221145)
VIDIT GARG (221164)
HIMALAYA TARANI (221173)
SUBHANSHU GUPTA (073055)
INFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND BELIEF ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN INDIA 2014

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The report has been done as a part of our End Term Project. We are really thankful to our professor
Prof. Sanjay Chandwani, FORE School of Management, New Delhi for his invaluable guidance
and assistance.
We are also grateful to him for providing us with valuable information and helping towards the
successful completion of the project. We would like to acknowledge and extend our heartfelt gratitude
for his continuous support and guidance throughout the project.
The End Term Project under his mentorship has been very enriching and informative and has been a
valuable learning experience to us.
We appreciate him for all the support and encouragement and thank him for the same.

Group 1, CB_3
FMG 22
FORE School Of Management
New Delhi


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ABSTRACT

Consumer behavior is largely dependent on cultural factors consisting of mutually shared operating
procedures, unstated assumptions, tools, norms, values, standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating,
and communicating. Cultural value systems have a direct effect on consumer behavior and vary by the
major cultural dimensions between countries and regions within a country. In these situations, people
are subjected to a wide variety of cultural reference groups that ultimately affect their consumer
behavior. Consequently, marketers must develop marketing communication that addresses cultural and
reference group factors from both a domestic and global perspective. Research has shown that the
strength of ethnic culture has a significant effect on consumer purchasing behavior and that the higher
their strength of ethnic identification the greater their propensity to purchase products associated with
their culture.
Objectives of this work are to study the impact of culture on consumer behavior. Basically we want to
study how culture affects consumption and usage of different products and services on marriages and
to study the buying pattern of consumers on festivals and special occasions. Also to study how
banking and investment decisions are affected by ones culture and to study the impact of food habits
on the basis of culture of different states. Hence, to study the buying pattern of consumers for clothes
and its influence from religion and culture.
The research design selected for this study is exploratory and causal. The new facts about the culture
and its relationship on the consumer purchase decision are explored. The research work is intends to
cover new facts about the practicality of the culture in consumer decision making. The chosen
qualitative method is conducting in-depth interviews. In-depth interviews canbe conducted in an
unstructured or semi-structured way.
The required quantitative data has been collected through a survey. The questions used are close-ended
(with set number of responses). It is a Group-administered questionnaire floated online for the
collection of data.
The Secondary Data has been collected from a wide array of journals, research papers, articles, and
news reports contributed as the secondary sources. Also some data has been collected from YouTube
videos of serial like Zaika India Ka and Band Baaja and Bride show casing preferences of
consumers from different region or religion.

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Findings from quantitative research are:
Men and women have equal preferences towards food, apparel and gifts
Men and women do not have equal preferences in decoration and jewelry
People from different region have equal preference towards food in marriages, food,
decoration, jewelry and gifts
Findings from quantitative research are:
It was observed that culture had a high level of impact and influence on food and eating habits
of people from different communities. Also it was noticed that the rise in western culture with
respect to the particular region that the particular community is living in, overshadows the
boundaries of religion at times.
Marriages showed a high level of correlation with culture.
It was observed that level of income as well as age group has high impact on the investment
avenues of individuals as it defines their risk taking capacity rather than the religion or the
community they come from.
In case of festivals the consumption pattern differed based on the particular festival.
Clothes showed a high level of relation with culture but with growth in modernization this
trend is also changing.


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TABLE OF CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ......................................................................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................................... iii
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR .................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 CULTURE .................................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 ROLE OF CULTURE IN UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET BEHAVIOUR OF THE CONSUMER . 4
1.4 IMPORTANCE FOR MARKETERS TO UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL IMPACT ON
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR .............................................................................................................................. 4
1.5 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE WORK ................................................................................................. 6
LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 7
METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 11
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................................................ 11
3.2 UNIVERSE OF THE STUDY .................................................................................................................. 11
3.3 LOCALE OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................................................... 11
3.4 SAMPLE SIZE ......................................................................................................................................... 11
3.5 DATA COLLECTION METHOD ............................................................................................................. 11
3.5.1 PRIMARY DATA ............................................................................................................................... 11
3.5.2 SECONDARY DATA ......................................................................................................................... 12
3.6 LIMITATION OF STUDY ......................................................................................................................... 12
DATA INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS .................................................................................................. 13
4.1 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH ................................................................................................................. 13
4.2. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ................................................................................................................... 23
4.2.1 FOOD ................................................................................................................................................... 23
4.2.2 BANKING AND INVESTMENT ....................................................................................................... 30
4.2.3 MARRIAGE ........................................................................................................................................ 35
4.2.4 FESTIVALS ........................................................................................................................................ 42
4.2.5 Clothes ................................................................................................................................................. 45
4.2.6 EFFECT OF BELIEVES ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR .................................................................. 48
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................ 50
5.1 MAJOR FINDINGS FROM THE INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED ........................................................... 51
LIMITATIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 55

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6.1 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................ 55
6.2 FURTHER SCOPE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................................ 55
ANNEXURE............................................................................................................................................................ I
A. QUESTIONNAIRE ..................................................................................................................................... I
B. REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................................VII

TABLE OF TABLES
Table 1: Black Box Model ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Table 2: Description of Hypothesis 1 .................................................................................................................... 14
Table 3: ANOVA result of Hypothesis 1 ................................................................................................................ 14
Table 5: ANOVA results of Hypothesis 2 ............................................................................................................... 18
Table 7: ANOVA Result of Hypothesis 3 ................................................................................................................ 21
Table 8: Presence of different Fast food chain in different region ....................................................................... 25
Table 9: Relationship between Investment avenues and age group .................................................................... 33
Table 10: Relationship between Income Level and Amount Invested Per Annum .............................................. 33
Table 11: Selection of Investment and their relationship with the Income level of a consumer ......................... 34

TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Cultural Framework ....................................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2: A Theoretical Model of Culture's Influence on Behaviour ............................................................. 4
Figure 3: Shariah Compliant Stocks............................................................................................................. 32
Figure 4: Religious functions during Hindu marriage.................................................................................. 35
Figure 5: Socioeconomic breakdown of Indian Youth Population ............................................................. 45
1

INTRODUCTION

Consumer behavior is largely dependent on cultural factors consisting of mutually shared operating
procedures, unstated assumptions, tools, norms, values, standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating,
and communicating. In these situations, people are subjected to a wide variety of cultural reference
groups that ultimately affect their purchase behavior. In response, marketers must develop marketing
communication that addresses cultural and reference group factors from both a domestic and global
perspective. To this end, marketers use market segmentation and micromarketing to develop customer-
centric marketing messages with the goal of providing precisely defined marketing messages that
satisfy consumers need for personal information regarding products and services so that consumers
should be adequately stimulated to purchase the product or service being advertised.
1.1 CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Consumer behavior is the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to
select, secure, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts
that these processes have on the consumer and society. It blends elements from
psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer
decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual
consumers such as demographics and behavioral variables in an attempt to understand people's wants.
It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference
groups, and society in general.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS BUYER'S BLACK BOX
BUYER'S
RESPONSE
Marketing Environmental Buyer
Decision Process
CHAPTER 1

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Stimuli Stimuli Characteristics
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
Economic
Technological
Political
Cultural
Demographic
Natural
Attitudes
Motivation
Perceptions
Personality
Lifestyle
Knowledge
Problem recognition
Information search
Alternative
evaluation
Purchase decision
Post-purchase
behavior
Product choice
Brand choice
Dealer choice
Purchase timing
Purchase amount
Table 1: Black Box Model
The black box model shows the interaction of stimuli, consumer characteristics, decision process and
consumer responses. It can be distinguished between interpersonal stimuli (between people) or
intrapersonal stimuli (within people). The black box model is related to the black box
theory of behaviorism, where the focus is not set on the processes inside a consumer, but the
relation between the stimuli and the response of the consumer. The marketing stimuli are planned and
processed by the companies, whereas the environmental stimulus is given by social factors, based on
the economical, political and cultural circumstances of a society. The buyers black box contains the
buyer characteristics and the decision process, which determines the buyers response.
1.2 CULTURE
We define culture as the sum total of learned beliefs, values, and customs that serve to direct the
consumer behavior of members of a particular society (Consumer Behavior, Shiffman and Kanuk)
In a broad sense both values and beliefs are mental images that effect a wide range of specific attitudes
that, in turn, influence the way a person uses to evaluate alternative brands in a product category (such
as Volvo versus an Audi automobile), or his or her eventual preference for one of these brands over
the other, are influenced by both a persons general values (perceptions as to what constitutes quality
and the meaning of country of origin) and specific beliefs (particular, perceptions about the quality of
Swedish made versus German made automobiles).

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In contrast to beliefs and values, customs are usual and acceptable ways of behaving, where the former
are guides for behaviour.

Figure 1: Cultural Framework


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1.3 ROLE OF CULTURE IN UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET BEHAVIOUR
OF THE CONSUMER

Figure 2: A Theoretical Model of Culture's Influence on Behaviour
This model depicts the role that subjective culture plays in determining our beliefs, practices, and
values, which in turn impact our social norms, attitudes, behavioral intentions and ultimately our
behaviour. Subjective culture reflects regional character (e.g. People living in several nations in a
particular region of South America) and religious similarities or differences, or shared or different
languages, national factors, such as shared core values, customs, personalities, and group level factors
are concerned with various subdivisions of a country or society (e.g. - families, work groups, shopping
groups, friendship groups) and many more factors.

1.4 IMPORTANCE FOR MARKETERS TO UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL
IMPACT ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Because culture satisfies needs
Culture exists to satisfy the needs of the people within a society. It offers order, direction and
guidance in all phases of human problem solving by providing tried and true methods of
satisfying physiological, personal, and social needs.
e.g.:- Culture provides standards and rules about when to eat, where to eat, what is
appropriate to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner etc...

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Because culture is learned
Unlike innate biological characteristics, culture is learned. The three distinct forms of cultural
learning are formal learning, informal learning and technical learning.
Although a firms advertising and marketing communications can influence all three types of
cultural learning, it is likely that many product marketing messages enhance informal learning
by providing the audience with a model of behavior to imitate.
Because of Acculturation
Acculturation is an important concept for marketers who plan to sell their products in foreign
or multinational markets. In such cases, marketers must study the specific cultures of their
potential target markets to determine whether their products will be acceptable to its members
and if so, how they can best communicate the characteristics of their products to persuade the
target market to buy.
When using Language and Symbols
To communicate effectively with their audiences, marketers must use appropriate symbols to
convey desired product images or characteristics. These symbols can be verbal or nonverbal.
A symbol may have several, even contradictory meanings, so the advertiser must ascertain
exactly what the symbol is communicating to its intended audience.
When facilitating Rituals
Most important from the standpoint of marketers is the fact that rituals tend to be replete with
ritual artifacts that are associated with or somehow enhance the performance of the ritual.
Because culture is shared
Various social institutions within a society transmit the elements of culture and make the
sharing of culture a reality. Such institutions are family, educational institutions, houses of
worship and most importantly mass media. Because consumers receive important cultural
information from advertising.
Because culture is dynamic
To fulfill its need gratifying role, culture continually must evolve if it is to function in the best
interests of a society. For this reason, the marketer must carefully monitor the socio-cultural
environment in order to market an existing product more effectively.


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1.5 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE WORK
To study the impact of culture on consumer behavior
To study how culture affects consumption and usages of different products and services on
marriages
To study the buying pattern of consumers on festivals and special occasions
To study how banking and investment decisions are affected by ones culture
To study the impact of food habits on the basis of culture of different states
To study the pattern of buying behavior of clothes and how that is impacted by religion and
culture.


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LITERATURE REVIEW

The Role of Culture in Consumer Behaviour, Ashish Sharma
In this paper, the author cities that many countries are now joined in the communities of nations and
chances are that these diverse market will be transformed in to a single market of homogeneous group.
The multinationals are spreading the fever of similar variety in most of the nations. As more and more
consumers come in contact with the material goods and life style of people living in other parts of the
world, they have the opportunity to adopt these.
The brands are communicated to the consumers according to culture of the country. How can be a
consumer across the culture different from each other. The very important situation exist for marketers
is to understand the culture objectively. The most important situation is that consumers present their
attitude about the foreign products and how much consumers are influenced with their own culture.
Cultural effects on consumer behavior, Andrew J. Marsiglia
In this paper author states that cultural value systems have a direct effect on consumer behavior and
vary by the major cultural dimensions between countries and regions within a country. In these
situations, people are subjected to a wide variety of cultural reference groups that ultimately affect
their consumer behavior. Consequently, marketers must develop marketing communication that
addresses cultural and reference group factors from both a domestic and global perspective. Research
has shown that the strength of ethnic culture has a significant effect on consumer purchasing behavior
and that the higher their strength of ethnic identification the greater their propensity to purchase
products associated with their culture, The results of these studies suggest that the micro-segmentation
of consumers according to their cultural values would be important for marketing managers operating
in heterogeneous, multicultural markets. The marketing message, therefore, must address the cultural
characteristics that correspond to the level of acculturation.

Influence of religion on shopping behaviour of consumers-an exploratory study , mahesh patel
The author in this review makes it clear that different religions have different impacts on some aspects
of consumer behaviour. These differences are thought to result from divergent values and beliefs
concerning consumption held by different religious ideologies. This effect may be either direct, as
when consumption of specific products varies as a function of the tenets held by the religious
CHAPTER 2

8

traditions, or indirectly, as a function of differences in psychological Constructs such as personality
and values. The findings give considerable support for viewing religion as an important construct in
the study of consumer behavior. Firstly, religion was found to influence the way in which people make
decisions on shopping. In the consumer behavior literature, most studies suggest that shopping in
influenced by the following factors: the nature of the product, the degree of perceived risk in the
product class, the amount of information search, store image and product assortment. It has also been
suggested that consumers are influenced by employment, social, religious, educational and
recreational activities.

The Influence of Culture on Consumer Behavior, www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com
Author has cited that both values and beliefs are mental images that affect a wide range of specific
attitudes that, in turn, influence the way a person is likely to respond in a specific situation. Behaviour
is influenced by both a person's general values (perceptions as to what constitutes quality and the
meaning of country of origin) and specific beliefs. Also customs are overt modes of behavior that
constitute culturally approved or acceptable ways of behaving in specific situations Customs consist of
everyday or routine behavior

The Influence of Culture on Consumer Behaviour, Santosh Kr. Pandey and Pankaj Kant Dixit
Author says that in a diversified country like India cultural factors exert the broadest and deepest
influence on consumer behavior. Culture influences consumers through the norms and values
established by the society in which they live. The impact of culture is automatic and almost invisible.
Culture not only influences consumer behavior but also reflects it. It is the mirror of both the values
and possessions. Marketing strategies are unlikely to change cultural values, but marketing does
influence culture. It has a broad influence on their buying and usage behavior of products and services,
and the extent of their satisfaction.

The influence of culture on consumers: exploratory and risk taking behaviour, minoo farhangmehr
andaviv shoham
The research focus evolved as the research question shifted from are consumers becoming more
similar to what makes consumers different and how does culture influence consumer behaviour.

9

Following this trajectory, it was sought to identify the dimensions of consumer behaviour that would
be more susceptible to cultural influences. Risk related aspects were identified as one general trait of
behaviour that would be particularly culture-sensitive. It may be stated, however, that a fundamental
starting point for international marketers is to begin by assessing the impact of culture on consumers.

Festivals, LSiree
In this section the author has discovered the Cultural Heritage of India, Festivals and Philosophy of
Indian people. In India, festivals do not just offer people a temporary reprieve from their daily grind.
Imbued with deep inner significance, each festival is a multifaceted celebration. The day on which a
particular festival is celebrated has a special astrological significance, and certain observances on these
days yield manifold benefits. That is why Indian festivals are marked by certain observances such as
fasting, oil massages, particular pujas, abstinence, etc. In the Indian tradition all ones needs, be it at a
totally gross level or the most subtle, are sought through the Divine. Each festival is also associated
with a story from the Puranas that gives an insight into the deeper spiritual significance underlying the
celebration. Part of common folklore, these stories reach out to ordinary people in a way that dry
theological facts cannot.

Marriages in different religions, iloveindia.com
In this article the author has described the marriages in different religions in India. India is known for
its rich cultural heritage and diverse customs. Each religion has its own traditions and ritual. Different
existing religions in the country- Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Jewish, Buddhism, Jain
and Christianity every religion has their own wedding customs. Though Indian wedding is mainly
associated with the Hindu marriage ceremony, actually the Indian Marriage canopies the marriages of
all the different existing religions in the country. The author goes on to describe in detail the various
events, customs and rituals of a Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Parsi, Jewish, Buddhist wedding.

Introduction to Islamic Investing, HSBC
The demand for Islamic banking and Islamic products is increasing and these products and services are
being introduced by well-known financial institutions. As more non-Islamic markets show increased
interest in Islamic finance, a growing number of new Islamic financial institutions are being

10

introduced internationally. This is an industry that is still evolving, developing and growing. The
industry has also grown from retail banking to commercial banking and, more recently, into
investment banking. Its sophistication and product offering have developed along with this change.
Islamic financial institutions have taken the form of commercial banks, investment banks, investment
and finance companies, insurance companies, and financial service companies. But while continuing
growth seems likely, and a wider range of products is now available to investors, legitimate challenges
and concerns over the mechanics and regulation of Islamic finance remain. If Islamic finance is to
move deeper into mainstream global finance, the industry needs to foster innovation, with gaps across
asset classes (sector specific, fixed income, hedge funds), but also credibility by harmonising
standards and practices.

Indian food, indianfoodforever.com
In this article the author has deeply discussed the various foods prevalent in all over India. Indian
food is different from rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods. It reflects a
perfect blend of various cultures and ages. Just like Indian culture, food in India has also been
influenced by various civilizations, which have contributed their share in its overall development and
the present form. The author then goes into describing the various food habits of west, east, north and
south India, the famous foods and dishes and what that region is known for.


11

METHODOLOGY

A brief introduction to culture and its influence on consumer behavior has been already discussed in
previous sections. Now this chapter will tell about the methodology to be used to fulfill the purpose of
the study. It tells the universe, locale, sample, and sources of the study.
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
The research design selected for this study is exploratory and causal. The new facts about the culture
and its relationship on the consumer purchase decision are explored. The research work is intends to
cover new facts about the practicality of the culture in consumer decision making. We are also trying
to establish a cause and effect relationship between different culture and its impact on consumer
behavior and brand preference.
3.2 UNIVERSE OF THE STUDY
The universe of the study would cater to the consumers across the globe that may or may not base their
purchase decisions as per the cultural influence of their religion, region, social status, attitude and
beliefs.
3.3 LOCALE OF THE STUDY
We have cornered MBA students from different colleges and people of New Delhi and NCR as the
locale of the study owing to convenience and taking into view the diversity in terms of ideologies and
mix of various cultures offered by the place.

3.4 SAMPLE SIZE
For the purpose of our study we have considered 20 respondents across the age group for personal
interview. 100 responses have been collected from online survey floated. We have roped in youth for
ascertaining our objectives for there has been a substantial change in the dynamics of emerging youth
as a consumer.
3.5 DATA COLLECTION METHOD
3.5.1 PRIMARY DATA
QUALITATIVE DATA
CHAPTER 3

12

The chosen qualitative method is conducting in-depth interviews. In-depth interviews can be
conducted in an unstructured or semi-structured way. It is preferred to use a semi-structured interview
for this research based on the following reasons:
Firstly, semi structured interviewing gives the opportunity to ask specific topics to be covered in
the interview guide while providing flexibility at the same time. Since this research has specific
questions to explore, semi-structured interviewing enables to cover more specific issues.
It also allows conducting a pre-test of the questions in order to be sure if the questions are
understood in the right way.
Moreover, semi-structured interviewing provides flexibility for the interviewer to come up with
new and/or follow up questions or to reformulate the questions based on the replies and reactions
of the interviewee.
Since six people conducted this research, the semi structured aspect of the interview ensures a way
of comparing interviewing styles.
QUANTITATIVE DATA
The required quantitative data has been collected through a survey. The questions used are close-
ended (with set number of responses). It is a Group-administered questionnaire floated online for
the collection of data.
3.5.2 SECONDARY DATA
Wide array of journals, research papers, articles, and news reports contributed as the secondary
sources.
YouTube videos of serial like Zaika India Ka and Band Baaja and Bride show casing
preferences of consumers from different region or religion.
3.6 LIMITATION OF STUDY
Limited response from different region (i.e. only one from east India)
Though people from different region have been cornered (i.e. home town across India) but at
present most of them are living in New Delhi.
Due to lack of time limited people has been approached for personal interview or survey.

13

DATA INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS

As per the objectives set and data collected in previous sections, this chapter will show the analysis
held, tools used and the observations so obtained. Previous chapters have introduced the topic,
methodology, and past findings of researchers in this field. Now we will analyze the data.
4.1 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
1) Relation between Gender and preferences for food, jewelry, decoration, apparels and gifts in
marriages
Ho: Male and female have same preferences for food, jewelry, decoration, apparels and gifts.
H1: Male and female have different preference for food, jewelry, decoration, apparels and gifts.

N Mean Std.
Deviatio
n
Std.
Error
95% Confidence
Interval for Mean
Mini
mum
Ma
xim
um
Lower
Bound
Upper
Bound
Food
male 59 1.865 1.4750 .2425 1.373 2.357 1.0 5.0
female 41 1.613 1.0223 .1836 1.238 1.988 1.0 5.0
Total 100 1.750 1.2857 .1559 1.439 2.061 1.0 5.0
Decor
ation
male 59 2.613 .8802 .1447 1.652 2.239 1.0 4.0
female 41 1.946 1.3336 .2395 2.124 3.102 1.0 5.0
Total 100 2.250 1.1509 .1396 1.971 2.529 1.0 5.0
Appar
els
male 59 2.081 1.0898 .1792 1.718 2.444 1.0 4.0
female 41 1.935 .8920 .1602 1.608 2.263 1.0 4.0
Total 100 2.015 .9999 .1213 1.773 2.257 1.0 4.0
CHAPTER 4

14

Jewel
ery
male 59 2.892 1.2863 .2115 2.463 3.321 1.0 5.0
female 41 2.052 1.1207 .2013 2.041 2.863 1.0 5.0
Total 100 2.691 1.2248 .1485 2.395 2.988 1.0 5.0
Gifts

male 59 2.784 1.3152 .2162 2.345 3.222 1.0 5.0
female 41 3.323 1.2751 .2290 2.855 3.790 1.0 5.0
Total 100 3.029 1.3155 .1595 2.711 3.348 1.0 5.0
Table 2: Description of Hypothesis 1

Sum of
Squares
df Mean
Square
F Sig.
Food
Between Groups 1.071 1 1.071 .644 .425
Within Groups 109.679 98 1.662
Total 110.750 99
Decoration
Between Groups 7.503 1 7.503 6.095 .016
Total 88.750 99
Apparels
Between Groups .358 1 .358 .354 .554
Total 66.985 99
Jewelery
Between Groups 3.270 1 3.270 2.219 .014
Total 100.515 99
Gifts
Between Groups 4.897 1 4.897 2.910 .093
Total 115.941 99
Table 3: ANOVA result of Hypothesis 1

15

Figure 3: Gender diversification
ANALYSIS
Food
Significance level (p- value) = 0.425 which is greater than 0.05
Thus, we cannot reject null hypothesis
Hence, male and female have equal preference towards food in marriages.
Decoration
Significance level (p- value) = 0.016 which is less than 0.05
Thus, we reject null hypothesis
Hence, male and female do not have equal preference towards decoration in marriages.
Now from descriptive table we can see that mean value of preferences for male is 2.613 and female is
1.946(1 being the most preferred and 5 being least preferred). Thus we can say that females have
higher preference for decoration during marriage.
Apparels
Hence, male and female have equal preference towards apparels in marriages.
Jewelry
Thus, we reject null hypothesis
Hence, male and female do not have equal preference towards jewelry in marriages.
Now from descriptive table we can see that mean value of preferences for male is 2.892 and female is
2.052 (1 being the most preferred and 5 being least preferred). Thus we can say that females have
higher preference for jewelry during marriage.
59%
41%
Gender
Male Female

16

Gifts
Hence, male and female have equal preference towards gifts in marriages.

2) Relation between Region (south, north, west and east) and preferences for food,
jewelry, decoration, apparels and gifts in marriages
Ho: People from different regions have same preferences for food, jewelry, decoration,
apparels and gifts.
H1: People from different regions have different preference for food, jewelry, decoration,
apparels and gifts.
N Mean Std.
Deviatio
n
Std.
Error
95% Confidence
Interval for Mean
Minim
um
Maxi
mum
Lower
Bound
Upper
Bound
Food
East 1 1.000 . . . . 1.0 1.0
West 14 1.000 .0000 .0000 1.000 1.000 1.0 1.0
North 70 1.850 1.3382 .1728 1.504 2.196 1.0 5.0
South 15 1.000 .0000 .0000 1.000 1.000 1.0 1.0
Total 100 1.750 1.2857 .1559 1.439 2.061 1.0 5.0
Deco
ratio
n
East 1 2.000 . . . . 2.0 2.0
West 14 1.200 .4472 .2000 .645 1.755 1.0 2.0
North 70 2.317 1.1570 .1494 2.018 2.616 1.0 5.0
South 15 3.000 1.4142 1.0000 -9.706 15.706 2.0 4.0
Total 100 2.250 1.1509 .1396 1.971 2.529 1.0 5.0
Appa
rels
East 1 2.000 . . . . 2.0 2.0
West 14 1.600 .8944 .4000 .489 2.711 1.0 3.0
North 70 2.067 1.0229 .1321 1.802 2.331 1.0 4.0

17

South 15 1.500 .7071 .5000 -4.853 7.853 1.0 2.0
Total 100 2.015 .9999 .1213 1.773 2.257 1.0 4.0
Jewel
ery
East 1 1.000 . . . . 1.0 1.0
West 14 2.000 .7071 .3162 1.122 2.878 1.0 3.0
North 70 2.767 1.2537 .1619 2.443 3.091 1.0 5.0
South 15 3.000 .0000 .0000 3.000 3.000 3.0 3.0
Total 100 2.691 1.2248 .1485 2.395 2.988 1.0 5.0
Gifts
East 1 2.000 . . . . 2.0 2.0
West 14 2.000 1.0000 .4472 .758 3.242 1.0 3.0
North 70 3.100 1.3110 .1692 2.761 3.439 1.0 5.0
South 15 4.000 1.4142 1.0000 -8.706 16.706 3.0 5.0
Total 100 3.029 1.3155 .1595 2.711 3.348 1.0 5.0
Sum of
Squares
df Mean
Square
F Sig.
Food
Between Groups 5.100 3 1.700 1.030 .385
Total 110.750 99
Decoration
Between Groups 6.967 3 2.322 1.817 .153
Total 88.750 99
Apparels
Between Groups 1.552 3 .517 .506 .680
Total 66.985 99
Jewelery
Between Groups 5.781 3 1.927 1.302 .282

18

Total 100.515 99
Gifts
Between Groups 8.541 3 2.847 1.697 .177
Total 115.941 99
Table 5: ANOVA results of Hypothesis 2

Figure 4: Region-wise Diversification
Analysis:
Food
Significance level (p- value) = 0.385 which is greater than 0.05 .
Thus, we cannot reject null hypothesis. Hence, people from different region have equal preference
towards food in marriages.
Decoration
Hence, people from different region have equal preference towards decoration in marriages.
Apparels
Hence, people from different region have equal preference towards apparels in marriages.
Jewelry
15%
70%
14%
1%
Diversification (Region-wise)
South North West East

19

Hence, people from different region have equal preference towards jewelry in marriages.
Gifts
Hence, people from different region have equal preference towards gifts in marriages.

3)Relation between religion and preferences for spice, sweets, breads, rice, fruits, fast
food and dairy products in their food basket.
Ho: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians have same preferences spice, sweets, breads, rice,
fruits, and fast food and dairy products in their food basket.
H1: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians do not have same preferences spice, sweets, breads,
rice, fruits, fast food and dairy products in their food basket

N Mean Std.
Deviation
Std.
Error
95% Confidence
Interval for Mean
Min
imu
m
Maxim
um
Lower
Bound
Upper
Bound
Spice
unmarried 78 2.145 1.1614 .1566 1.831 2.459 1.0 5.0
Married 22 1.846 .8006 .2221 1.362 2.330 1.0 3.0
Total 100 2.088 1.1027 .1337 1.821 2.355 1.0 5.0
sweets
unmarried 78 2.673 1.2480 .1683 2.335 3.010 1.0 5.0
Married 22 2.308 .9473 .2627 1.735 2.880 1.0 4.0
Total 100 2.603 1.1988 .1454 2.313 2.893 1.0 5.0
Breads
unmarried 78 2.491 .9598 .1294 2.231 2.750 1.0 4.0
Married 22 2.538 1.3301 .3689 1.735 3.342 1.0 5.0
Total 100 2.500 1.0294 .1248 2.251 2.749 1.0 5.0
Rice
unmarried 78 2.745 1.1741 .1583 2.428 3.063 1.0 5.0
Married 22 2.538 1.2659 .3511 1.773 3.303 1.0 5.0

20

Total 100 2.706 1.1852 .1437 2.419 2.993 1.0 5.0
Fruits
unmarried 78 2.200 1.1769 .1587 1.882 2.518 1.0 5.0
Married 22 2.154 1.2142 .3368 1.420 2.888 1.0 4.0
Total 100 2.191 1.1751 .1425 1.907 2.476 1.0 5.0
Fast
Food
unmarried 78 3.273 1.1934 .1609 2.950 3.595 1.0 5.0
Married 22 3.462 1.3301 .3689 2.658 4.265 1.0 5.0
Total 100 3.309 1.2126 .1470 3.015 3.602 1.0 5.0
Dairy
Products
unmarried 78 2.255 1.3224 .1783 1.897 2.612 1.0 5.0
Married 22 1.615 1.0439 .2895 .985 2.246 1.0 4.0
Total 100 2.132 1.2918 .1567 1.820 2.445 1.0 5.0

Sum of
Squares
df Mean Square F Sig.
Spice
Between Groups 2.373 3 .791 .640 .592
Total 81.471 99
Sweets
Between Groups 9.165 3 3.055 2.244 .042
Total 96.279 99
Breads
Between Groups 4.343 3 1.448 1.390 .254
Total 71.000 99
Rice
Between Groups .609 3 .203 .139 .936
Total 94.118 99

21

Fruits
Between Groups 3.006 3 1.002 .716 .546
Total 92.515 99
Fast Food
Between Groups 11.514 3 3.838 2.823 .046
Total 98.515 99
Dairy
Products
Between Groups 3.763 3 1.254 .743 .530
Total 111.809 99
Table 7: ANOVA Result of Hypothesis 3

Figure 5: Food basket preferences
Analysis:
Spice
Hence, married and unmarried people have equal preference towards spices in their food basket.
Sweets
Thus, we cannot accept null hypothesis
40
19 18
15
40
9
41
25
32 35
35
21
12
30
25
27
28
23
22
43
15
7
13
18
18
16
13
4
3
9
1
9
1
23
10
Spice Sweets Breads Rice Fruits Fast Food Dairy
Products
Food Basket
1(Most Preferred) 2(Preferred) 3(neutral) 4(Less Preferred) 5(Least Preferred)

22

Hence, married and unmarried people do not have equal preference towards sweets in their food
basket.
From the descriptive table we can see that the mean of unmarried is more than that of married,
hence we can say that married people have more preference towards sweets.
Breads
Hence, married and unmarried people have equal preference towards breads in their food basket.
Rice
Hence, married and unmarried people have equal preference towards rice in their food basket.
Fruits
Hence, married and unmarried people have equal preference towards fruits in their food basket.
Fast Food
Thus, we cannot accept null hypothesis
Hence, married and unmarried people do not have equal preference towards fast food in their food
basket.
From the descriptive table we can see that the mean of unmarried is less than that of married,
hence we can say that unmarried people have more preference towards fast food.
Dairy Products
Hence, married and unmarried people have equal preference towards Dairy products in their food
basket.


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4.2. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

4.2.1 FOOD
Based on rising disposable income, changing consumer behavior and favorable demographics, India is
witnessing a tremendous growth in its fast food and restaurant industries. Additional reasons include
exposure to western cuisine, the rising number of nuclear families and growth in the number of
employed women, which are also having a significant impact on the eating out trends and growth of
the fast food industry in the country.
For a nation that is particular about its food and significantly fond of home cooked and fresh food, this
trend is showing the globalization of India and increase of new markets not witnessed in India before.
With increasing number of people eating out the industry offers major opportunities to the players to
capture a larger consumer base. As a result of the trend, all the international food players like Pizza
Hut, Dominos, McDonalds and KFC are investing huge amount of money to grab a share of this
highly lucrative market.
Pizza Hut for example, is one of the flagship brands of Yum! Brands, Inc., which also has KFC, Taco
Bell, A&W and Long John Silvers under its umbrella. Pizza Hut has 143 stores across 34 cities in
India.
A report by Research on India has found that traditionally, the Indian consumers have been eating at
roadside eateries, dhabas and stalls which still occupy a major share of the unorganized sector, where
fast food has been eaten traditionally. However, with the changes in the economy of the country and
injection of modern employment from the West, the non-home food market has now changed.
The growing segment comprises of formats like fast food chains, cafes and fine dining restaurants.
Two sub segments of the fast food market are the Pizzas and Burgers. These have now developed into
part of the nations eating habits. Their share is continuously growing with the key global brands such
as Dominos, McDonalds and KFC making their marks quickly.
The chains have had no problems accommodating different menus for the Indian consumer. For
example, McDonalds will not sell beef burgers but instead lamb and chicken burgers and have a larger
selection of vegetarian food compared to the West.

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Another area experiencing growth is the Ready To Eat (RTE) market in India for food. RTE can be
defined as food products that constitute complete meals; require minimal processing, if any, typically
requiring re-heating to desired temperature or addition of water. They are often termed as
Convenience Food since they are positioned as value for money products that solve the issue of
time-constrains faced by consumers due to the pressures of urban life. RTEs are categorized into two
product categories Shelf stable packaged food and Frozen packaged food.
However lately, there has been a move towards expanding taste horizons as a result of the overall
lifestyle has changes. In cities such as Kolkata and Bhubaneswar, eating out is already a popular trend.
However, a similar trend to explore new cuisines and brands is emerging in other cities as well, such
as Patna, Ranchi, Guwahati etc. This has been a result of evolution of aspirations of younger
generation, increased openness to foreign culture, an increase in families disposable incomes, rise in
presence of branded retail chains and growth of entertainment as a concept with emergence of malls &
multi-screen multiplexes. All of this in turn has increased their exposure levels and started to have an
influence on the way people eat; encouraging them to venture out and try new cuisine types.
Advent of Large National and International brands It must be said that whatever considerable change
in the eating habits of the region has been to a large extent due to the influence & initiative of the
organized F&B chains. Presented below is a quick overview of the presence of some of the key
organized F&B brands in the region:


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Table 8: Presence of different Fast food chain in different region
While the region accounts for less than 10% of the all India presence for all International brands, some
of the Domestic brands have been quick to realize the growing incidence of eating out and capitalize
on the affinity for local food and Chinese cuisine in particular. Their key concern is to be able to build
enough scale in a few big cities, so that they can streamline their logistics and supply chain processes
for that region before they target other smaller areas.
The main advantages that these brands see in expanding here are that
Dining out is increasingly gaining traction
Accessibility is not an issue for them since the distances are not much and there no space
constraints which solves the problem of rental
A key component in restaurant operating expense.
North Indian Food
Food in the north India, to begin with, Kashmiri cuisines reflect strong Central Asian influences.
In Kashmir, mostly all the dishes are prepared around the main course of rice found abundantly in the
beautiful valley. Another delicious item cooked here is the 'Saag' that is prepared with a green leafy

26

vegetable known as the 'Hak'. One will find the influence of Central Asian tastes and flavors in these
dishes.
But on the other hand states like the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh show high consumption of
chapatis as staple food. Again, these chapatis are prepared with a variety of flours such as wheat, rice,
maida, besan etc. Besides chapatis other closely related breadsbaked in these regions
include Tandoori, Rumaali and Naan etc. However in the northern region impact of Mughlai food is
quite obvious. The Tandoori style of cooking of Punjab uses large earthen ovens ignited with hot coals
to cook vegetable, meat and bread. This cooking method locks in the aroma of the food items. A touch
of Mughalai cuisine is reflective from these north Indian dishes. Fresh cheese and yogurt are also part
of the Punjabi cuisine.
West Indian Food
The food items of western India are known for their unique aroma and tastes. The desert cuisine of
western India is reflected by the Gujrati and Rajasthani dishes. The people of these states love to have
different variety of pickles (achar) and pulses.
Thali meal is very popular in Gujrat. When all the food items of a meal are served on a large plate it is
called a Thali. A light meal prepared with lentil and rice is known as khichdi. Often Kadhi prepared
from spiced yogurt is served with it.
Portuguese influence is seen in the cooking style of Goa. Sweet and sour tastes are typical of the
culinary style of the state. Duck baffad, egg molie and vindaloo are the favorite dishes of the local
people.
East Indian Food
East Indian dishes are primarily dominated by Bengali style of culinary. Rice and fish are the favorite
dishes of the Bengalis. Fish is a primary dish in Bengali cuisine of which Hilsa is the most popular and
loved side dish to rice. Rice is the staple food. Mustard oil and ghee are extensively used in cooking.
Paanch Phoron a mix of 5 assorted spices are mostly used in Bengali cooking, specially in fish curry
(Machcher Jhol). Among desserts, cham-cham, rosogolla and sandesh are the loved ones among
Bengalis.
The culinary style of the other eastern states of India like Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam,
Arunachal Pradesh etc includes steamed and fried dishes. Most of the dishes of the eastern region of
India are characterized with simplicity and their cooking process are not elaborate. In the coastal areas,

27

fish is the most popular non vegetarian item. Momo and thukpa are extensively prepared in the hilly
regions of eastern India.
South Indian Food
In the southern India, the states make great use of spices, fishes and coconuts, as most of them have
coastal kitchens. In the foods of Tamil Nadu use of tamarind is frequently made in order to impart
sourness to the dishes. It simply distinguishes the Tamil Food from other cuisines. The cooking style
of Andhra Pradesh is supposed to make excessive use of chilies, which is obviously to improve the
taste of the dishes. In Kerala, some of the delicious dishes are the lamb stew and appams, Malabar
fried prawns, Idlis, Dosas, fish molie and rice puttu. Another famous item of this region is the
sweetened coconut milk. Yet another dish is Puttu, which is glutinous rice powder steamed like a
pudding in a bamboo shoot.
DELHIITE
Truly Cosmopolitan
One thing that you will definitely notice about the people in Delhi is their love & passion for food.
Delhi is a melting pot of cultures & traditions and this is reflected in their eagerness to try cuisines
from the world over. Here in Delhi you will find a Punjabi gorging on Sambar, Idlis & Dosas & a
South Indian enjoying a plate of Chole Bhature. With globalization & improvements in lifestyle,
Delhiites today have come to embrace the best of the Indian & International cuisines. So if you are in
Delhi, you will have no trouble in finding an authentic Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, Italian,
Mediterranean, French, or American restaurant.
Love for Mughlai Food
Though you can find all types of cuisines in Delhi, Mughlai dishes are definitely one of the most
favourite foods of the locals. The Mughals ruled Delhi for many centuries & although the Mughal rule
ended centuries ago, their food still rules Delhi.
Kababs, Naans, Kormas, Pilafs & Nihari are just some of the Mughlai dishes that are as popular today
as they were during the Mughal era. If you want to try some real good ones, then Old Delhi is your
best bet. Many of the small restaurants in Old Delhi that serve Mughlai food are run by people whose
forefathers used to serve in the Mughal royal kitchen.
Fan of the Punjabi Fare

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Delhiites love Punjabi food - Butter Chicken, Chole Bhature, Rajma Chawal, Saag & Makai Ki Roti,
Tandoori Roti & Tandoori Chicken etc are some of the all-time favourites found in Delhi. Ever since
Punjabis made Delhi their home post-partition in 1947, Punjabi food has grown to be a part & parcel
of Delhi food culture. Such is the popularity of Punjabi dishes that they are served in almost all private
parties, marriages & literally at every occasion where food is served. Even the Chinese served here has
a new form called Chinjabi (which is the Punjabi version of the Chinese cuisine).
Street Food Runs in Delhi's Veins
The locals definitely love their street food - Bread Pakoras, Gol Gappas, Dahi Bhallas, Chaat Papri,
Samosas, Fruit Chaat, Bhel Puri & Aloo Tikkis, et al. Every shopping area and nook & corner has
shops or street vendors selling street food items. In fact vendors selling street food can be found in
practically every locality in Delhi. The surprising fact it that there are always hordes of people
surrounding these vendors who patiently await their turn to try some delicious & spicy Delhi street
food. If you are thinking about trying some street food, again, the best place to go to is Old Delhi.
GUJARAT
The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and has a high nutritional value. The typical
Gujarati thali consists of varied kinds of lip smacking dishes. Gujarati cuisine has so much to offer and
each dish has an absolutely different cooking style. Some of the dishes are stir fry, while others are
boiled. Gujarati food is more often served on a silver platter. Gujaratis use a combination of different
spices and flavors to cook their meals and this is what makes their food truly exotic. The traditional
Gujarati thali mostly encompasses rotli, dal or kadhi, sabzi also known as shaak and rice. People in
Gujarat eat one or the other type of curry along with rice and roti in almost every meal Gujarati dishes
usually have a very subtle taste that makes it truly distinct from other Indian cuisines. Lot of emphasis
is laid on maintaining hygiene while cooking. Most of the Gujarati dishes are sweet, while others have
a quite larger concentration of sugar as compared to salt and spices. Sometimes, jaggery is used as an
alternative to sugar. Gujarati food is highly energy efficient and thus do not cause much of fuel
wastage. The staple food o Gujarat consists of homemade pickles, chhaas (buttermilk), salad etc. main
course includes vegetables which are usually steamed and dal. Vaghaar is a blend of spices, which is
purified in hot oil and then added to the dal.
RAJASTHAN
The cuisine of Rajasthan is primarily vegetarian and offers a fabulous variety of mouthwatering
dishes. The spice content is quite high in comparison to other Indian cuisines, but the food is

29

absolutely scrumptious. Rajasthanis use ghee for cooking most of the dishes. Rajasthani food is well
known for its spicy curries and delicious sweets.
There is an enormous variety of sweets in Rajasthan, which are relished and savored by all. In
Rajasthan, the sweet dishes are had before the meal, with the main course and after the meal unlike
other desserts. Therefore, sweet dish is never called dessert in Rajasthan. When a guest arrives in the
house of a Rajasthani, he/she is served food in a proper manner. Self service concept is considered
rude and thus it does not form part of the etiquettes of Rajasthanis.
Dried lentils and beans obtained from native plants like sangria are used extensively in the preparation
of Rajasthani dishes. Gram flour is the major ingredient in the making of a couple of delicacies such as
"pakodi" and "gatte ki sabzi". Powdered lentils are liberally used in the preparation of papad.
Rajasthanis are quite fond of chutneys, which are prepared using different spices such as coriander,
turmeric, garlic and mint. Out of all the Rajasthani dishes, dal bati churma is perhaps the best known.
For those who are in a lookout for variety, Rajasthan has a lot to offer.
KERELA
The Kerala population consists of three major religions such as Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. The
majority Hindus mostly favoured vegetarian food till recently. But due to the co-existence with the
Muslims and Christians, their food choice has turned to non-veg dishes. They always had a love for
fishes. But the shift to meat is thanks to their living together with other religious groups, who are so
fond of Chicken, Mutton and Beef items. When a society comprising of multi-religious groups, it is
but natural and appreciable.
When Muslims mostly favored Beef, the choice of Christians was Beef and Pork. They also consumed
large quantities of fishes. The Keralites' main meal is rice with two curries preferably one veg and one
non veg. Though traditionally Malayalees preferred fish thanks to the large coastal line Kerala has. But
the present status of the food culture shows that Malayalees has now turned towards meat, especially
Chicken. If the food choice of Keralites go in the current way and pace, 'Chicken Biriyani' can be
named as Keralites' national food soon.

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4.2.2 BANKING AND INVESTMENT
To understand the consumer behavior regarding banking and investment we first classified consumers
into two categories i.e.
1) Muslims and
2) Non-Muslims
The basic idea behind this categorization was to study how the Banking and Investment pattern of
Muslimss differ majorly because of usury and Shariah, the Islamic law.
As per Surah al Baqarah, verse 275-280.
Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom the devil by his touch has driven
to madness. That is because they say: Trade is like usury: but Allah has permitted trade and forbidden
usury. Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity, for He loves
not any ungrateful sinner. O you who believe, fear Allah and give up what remains of your demand for
usury, if you are indeed believers. If you do it not, take notice of war from Allah and His messenger,
but if you repent you shall have your capital sums; deal not unjustly, and you shall not be dealt with
unjustly. And if the debtor is in difficulty, grant him time till it is easy for him to repay. But if you
remit it by way of charity, that is best for you if you only knew.
The Six key principles that govern banking for Muslims are
Predetermined loan repayments as interest(riba)is prohibited;
Profit and loss sharing is at the heart of the Islamic system;
Making money out of money is unacceptable; all financial transactions must be asset-backed;
Speculative behavior is prohibited;
Only sharias -approved contracts are acceptable;
Contracts are sacred.
Shariah Compliant Investments
Islamic finance is an equitable mode of finance that derives its principles from the Shariah, the Islamic
law. The Shariah is based on the Quran, the sacred text of Islam, and it governs all aspects of personal
and collective life of Muslims. The most distinctive element of Islamic finance is the prohibition of
interest, whether nominal or excessive, simple or compound, fixed or floating. To comply with
Shariah, investment must not involve interest (also known as Riba).

31

Islamic financial institutions work on a philosophy of prohibiting transactions considered immoral and
promoting greater social justice by sharing risk and reward. The customer and the Islamic bank share
the risk of any investment on agreed terms, and divide any profits between them. Islamic finance does
not allow creating new financial risks in order to gain profit; it is about protecting society from
trickery, fraud and social tensions. Shariah products also stress accountability, fairness and
transparency.
In addition to risk sharing and the prohibition of interest, under the principles of Shariah, investment is
also disallowed in businesses that deal with alcohol, pork, gambling, weapons, tobacco, media,
conventional financial institutions, pornography and anything else which it deems Haraam
(unlawful).
It is also ensured that not only the underlying investments but also the contractual terms agreed
between the investors and the investment manager conform to Islamic principles. Islam also disallows
certain contracts due to inherent elements which render them Haraam (unlawful).
When Shariah compliant investments receive company dividends generated as part of a companys
normal business operations, a purification process takes place. A large diversified corporation may be
Shariah compliant but may own a small finance subsidiary deemed non-compliant so any proportion
of income received from non-compliant activities are paid to Charity and thereby purified.
Taqwaa Advisory and Shariah Investment Solutions (TASIS) Pvt Ltd is the leading Shariah advisory
institution in India.

TASIS Screening Norms
In the first step of the screening process, companies which are involved in prohibited business
activities are screened out. The prohibited sectors include interest based financial institutions such as
banking, insurance, brokerage financial products and provision of fund based financial services,
manufacture, distribution and sale of potable alcoholic beverages and narcotics, processing,
distribution and sale of pork and pork related products, meat and products of other animals killed in a
non-halal manner, gambling and tobacco.
The companies which pass the business screening test are termed as Business compliant and they are
put through financial screening by further applying the following norms:

32

1. Their total interest-bearing debt (including from banks, financial institutions, public deposits and
inter-corporate deposits) and issued preference capital should not be greater than 25% of their total
assets,
2. Their interest income from all sources and 8% of interest-based investments should not exceed 3%
of their total income,
3. Their receivables and cash & bank balance should not be greater than 90% of their total assets
The business compliant companies or stocks which qualify on the above three financial screening
criteria are termed as Shariah compliant companies. Investment in such Shariah compliant stocks is
called Shariah compliant investment. Few of the Shariah compliant stocks are:

Figure 6: Shariah Compliant Stocks

33

Table 9: Relationship between Investment avenues and age group
From the above tables we can conclude that, all the age groups give more preference on investing in
equity, except those who are above 40 years of age. The age group, which is more than 40 years, gives
more preference to invest in Debenture, Tax saving bonds and then bank deposits. The people who are
40 years and above prefer secured investments that generate fixed and secured return. Also the people
those who are in the age group of 20-30 prefer more of equity than any other investment opportunity
because of their risk taking behavior.

Relationship between Income Level and Amount Invested Per Annum:
Annual Income
Investment per
annum
Below 2 Lacs Below 15,000
2-5 Lacs 15,001-25,000
5-7 Lacs 25,001-40,000
7-9 Lacs 40,001-55,000
9 Lacs and Above 55,001-70,000
Table 10: Relationship between Income Level and Amount Invested Per Annum
From the above data we can see that people with higher income invest more money as compared to
people with lower income. This is mainly because people with lower income have little surplus fund to
invest as compared to people with higher level of income. Also the risk taking capacity of people with
higher income is high as compared to people with low level of income.

34

Selection of Investment and their relationship with the Income level of a consumer:

Investment
Avenues
Income Group
Below 2
lacs 2-5 lacs 5-7 Lacs 7-9 Lacs
Above 9
Lacs
Equity 3 16% 4 20% 5 26% 5 26% 5 30%
Debentures/ Bonds 1 6% 1 6% 1 8% 1 7% 2 8%
Bank Deposits 6 32% 5 24% 4 20% 4 18% 3 14%
Insurance 3 14% 3 16% 4 18% 4 20% 4 20%
Mutual Funds 3 14% 3 16% 4 18% 3 15% 3 16%
Gold & Real
Estate 1 2% 1 4% 1 6% 2 8% 2 8%
Others 3 16% 3 14% 1 4% 1 6% 1 4%
Total 20 100% 20 100% 20 100% 20 100% 20 100%
Table 11: Selection of Investment and their relationship with the Income level of a consumer
The above table reveals that higher income levels are giving more preference to invest in equity
whereas lower income levels given more preference to invest in bank deposits. It implies that the
higher income level groups are preferred to take more risk in investment rather than lower income
level. And those who are taken more risk in investment are preferred to invest in equity rather than any
investment avenues. We can see that as the level of income increases the investment in equity also
increases.

Investment pattern and their relationship with different communities
As per the interviews conducted by the group we could see that people from Baniya community likes
to invest more on gold and real estate rather than stocks or any other investment avenues and similar
was the culture seen in people from South India. Gold has the highest weightage in the portfolio of
people from Southern India.
In baniya community people generally invest in gold because it is believed that higher the reserve of
gold you have, higher is the status of the family. And also if a baniya family has a daughter, they
invest in gold so as to accumulate it for the wedding of the girl in the family.

35

When we interacted with people from West Bengal and Karnataka, it was observed that they prefer to
invest more in stocks as compared to other avenues. This could be because of high literacy rate in the
states. Similar was the case with people of Christian religion as they were more inclined to investment
towards stocks and equity.
People from sikh community generally likes to park their money majorly in real estate and their
second preference for investment is gold.

4.2.3 MARRIAGE
Consumer behavior is affected by religion, culture, sub culture, income, believes etc.
We have analyzed what all is consumed and used in various marriages across religions and cultures
on the basis of one to one interviews. The usage and consumption in a marriage is of food, cloths, gifts
and jewelry.
MARRIAGE IN HINDUS
Marriage across various Hindus is similar in some kind or the other. We have tried to find out how
consumption pattern differs across various Hindus with differences because of food, clothing,
decoration, gifts etc.

Figure 7: Religious functions during Hindu marriage
Punjabi wedding
Punjabis are large hearted people who love splendor and grandeur. They are also keen on festivals and
celebrations. This nature of Punjabis also reflects in their marriage celebrations. Like other Indian
weddings, a Punjabi marriage ceremony is very ritualistic but also full of fun and frolic. It is in fact
one of the most colorful and musical marriage ceremonies in the country. Each ceremony is like an
excuse for merriment. A Punjabi Wedding is very vibrant and celebrated like a big carnival, exhibiting
splendid grandeur. Usually a Punjabi wedding consists of pre wedding, wedding and post wedding
functions.

36

Pre wedding functions include roka, sagan, mehndi, sagai, cocktail etc. A family may combine 2
functions or more and conduct them on the same date and place. Usually all functions are held in
banquets or farm houses leading to booking of banquets and tents. Dhol is a must in every function of
Punjabis.
Usually Punjabis believe in show off and they love grandeur, so every member of the family buys
dresses for each and every function. A large number of clothes, shoes, accessories are bought i.e. a
huge amount of money is spent in clothing and other accessories. Boys or men of the family usually
purchase sherwani, suits, kurtas, indo western etc. Girls or women buy sarees, suits, lehengas etc. One
important thing to note is that Punjabis usually prefer loud or bold cloths for functions.
One thing to note is every function of a Punjabi wedding will normally include alcohol and non -veg
food. Punjabis love non veg food. Alcohol is consumed on a large scale. At the door step, where
wedding is arranged, a milni ceremony is held . It includes gifts given to relatives of groom. These
gifts generally include blankets, gold coins. Cash etc
So, we see how a Punjabi wedding leads to consumption and usage of various items due to their
religion and culture like cloths, gold, band, dhol, DJ, alcohol, non-veg food, invitation cards, haldi,
chuda, banquets, crackers etc. Another thing to note is marriage is held on the date decided by the
pundit. A PUNJABI wedding is incomplete without a Pundit.
Various services have grown due to large number of marriages (tent, caters, photographers, mehandi
walas, band, dhol, decoration)
Baniya wedding
Baniyas are usually considered as misers. But Baniyas spend the most as compared to other
communities on marriages.
As in Punjabis, baniyas also have pre wedding functions. wedding functions and post wedding
functions which are similar to Punjabis, but there are some differences in consumption pattern because
of differences in believes and culture. The differences:-
Baniyas usually prefer ladoos in sweets because it is the favorite dessert of Lord Ganesha. Another
intresting thing to see in a roka in a baniya family is that they present gifts to every person present on
the roka ceremony. These gifts may include gold coins, sliver coins, sweets, cash etc. Gold coins and
gold jewellary is bought at a large scale.

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The Teeka ceremony is also conducted which happens in some Punjabi families. The male members of
the brides family do a tilak or a teeka on the grooms forehead. It is a gesture to show their love, and
respect towards the groom. The groom is given some gifts and is fed mithai. Following the teeka
ceremony, the bride is escorted by her entourage consisting of siblings, cousins and friends to the
function where her godh ceremony is held. The grooms family brings gifts, jewellery,
doll, shringar or make up, clothes and mithai for the bride in beautifully decorated trays and baskets.
We may note that baniyas usually prefer veg food and all the functions of baniya wedding usually
have veg food. They do not consider it auspicious to have alcohol, so it is difficult to find alcohol on a
baniya wedding.
The items which are consumed or used in a Punjabi and a baniya wedding are similar but the amount
differs. Food is also a major difference. ( veg and non veg)
Some of the rituals like bhaat and laghana lekhan also lead to difference in consumption pattern.
Clothing pattern also differs. Baniya men like to wear white safari suit on functions and baniya women
usually wear saris on every function.

Gujrati wedding
The Patels or Patidars of Gujarat are ambitious, intelligent, hardworking, hospitable and excessive
spenders on occasions like marriages. Their weddings are arranged on a grand scale and are bright and
colourful. The bride and groom receive huge amounts of clothes and jewellery and the groom is given
cash gifts at almost each ceremony; in fact after each 'Parikrama' (Circumvention around the sacred
fire) his palms are crossed with gold!
Gujarati Wedding is one of the most interesting wedding ceremonies in India. Like other Indian
Wedding Ceremonies, the Gujarati Wedding Ceremony is full of several traditional rituals and
customs. These traditional customs hold a deep meaning and regard for the Gujarati families.
Performed with a great pomp and show, the Gujarati Wedding Ceremonies are vibrant and GUJRATI
wedding also goes on for a number of days and includes pre wedding functions, post wedding
functions and wedding function. The functions usually are similar to that of baniyas and Punjabis.
Roka is not usually held in Gujarati wedding. Chandlo Maatli: Acceptance of the alliance (Type of
Roka). The 'chandlo' (applying the vermilion mark on the forehead) announces the acceptance of the

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alliance between the two families and the consent of the bride and groom to come together in holy
matrimony.
Other functions involve the garba dance. Girls usuaaly wear lehngas . The food served in various
functions is also vegetarian. The baarat inloves playing of shenai unlike Punjabis. On the wedding
day, the arrival of the groom and his family is called Ponkvu. It is actually the official beginning of the
Gujarati wedding.
Bengali wedding
A Bengali wedding includes many rituals and ceremonies that can span several days. In most cases, it
starts with the Kabin ceremony (the official registration of the wedding and presenting Denmohor or
Mahr) and ends with theBou Bhat ceremony (the wedding reception, a day after the marriage, usually
arranged by the groom's family). A bengali wedding will usually have fish and rasgulla in the food
menu. The bride's family gifts the groom with the wedding attire,which includes a 'jore' (silk shawl),
'dhoti' and 'topor , a head-dress made of pith and zari. The groom has to wear these clothes throughout
the wedding rituals. Bride usually wears a red saree. There is no dhol or loud music in a Bengali
wedding.
Tamil wedding
All the rituals are simply carried out in the day light. Usually a large Wedding Hall is booked for the
Marriage and most of the rituals are carried out in the hall.
The Tamil Weddings have a heavy feast. Tamil people take lot of pains in preparing the Wedding
Feasts. All sorts of Gourmands are places while the wedding feast is there - it includes vegetarian and
non - vegetarian south Indian delicacies. Various types of Coffee are something to try out in a Tamil
Wedding.
Usually the bride wears a red colored saree with lot of gold ornaments. Her forehead is studded with
ornaments made out of flowers. Rings and the Golden bangles add to her beauty. The Groom on the
other hand wears a plain white dhoti and a white patta on his shoulder. The Groom has a plan wedding
dress. A ritual which is all different from other religions is that the parents of bride send a cosmetic kit
to the groom.
**Hindus do not wear white on occasions. It is against Hindu culture to wear white on
occasions. Hindus wear white on death. A large no of Hindus bride wear red.

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MUSLIM WEDDING
Muslim marriage and Islamic wedding customs are traditions and practices that relate
to wedding ceremonies and marriage rituals prevailing within the Muslim world. Although Islamic
marriage customs and relations vary depending on country of origin and government regulations, both
Muslim men and women from around the world are guided by Islamic laws and practices specified in
the Quran. Muslims in India normally follow marriage customs that are similar to those practiced by
Muslims of the Middle-East, which are based on Islamic convention.
Legan Chir
When the date of marriage is finalized, cash present is sent to the bride's father by the groom's father.
The ceremony is known as Legan Chir. Day 1 and Day 2 Ceremonies
On days one and two, first the bride's people and then the groom's go to the other party's house,
carrying mehendi paste in a plate. The children carry candles, which are lit before entering the
respective houses. Dinner is served and songs teasing both the boy and girl are sung.
The marriage contract includes a meher -- a formal statement specifying the monetary amount the
groom will give the bride. There are two parts to the meher: a prompt due before the marriage is
consummated and a deferred amount given to the bride throughout her life.
On the eve of the wedding day, a bridal service known as the Mehndi ritual or henna ceremony is held
at the brides home. This ritual is sometimes done two days before the actual wedding day. During this
bridal preparation ritual, turmeric paste is placed on the brides skin for the purpose of improving and
brightening her complexion , The Indian Islamic wedding ceremony is also preceded by a marriage
procession known as the grooms baraat . From this convoy arrives the groom, who will share
a sherbet drink with a brother of his bride at the place of the marriage ceremony.
Muslims Weddings take place with a lot of pomp and Show. But this show is only for the people who
are attending the wedding. The Muslim Weddings are generally held either in the Girls house or the
Boys House as per the convenience of both the parties. All the rituals or ceremonies related to the
Wedding are done in the home only. It is this from where the Rukhsati of the Bride takes place. There
is dominance of red and Green Color in the Muslim Weddings.

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The Wedding feast is a list of Non - Vegetarian Indian Delicacies like Mughlai Chicken, Dahi Gosht ,
Aachari Murg, Rumali Roti, Biryani and Rogan Josh. Sharbats (Indian Cold Drink) and Pans are a
must in any Muslim Wedding.
Brighly colored red dress called Ghaghra Choli with a lot of Gold Ornaments are worn by the Bride..
The Groom on the other hands wear the Sherwani - long designer shirt with trousers. He also wears a
Pagdi ( Cap) and Duppata with Sherwani. There are special Shoes called Jootis/ Mojaris which are
worn along the Sherwani.
We note that consumption pattern in marriages of Muslims is bit different from that of Hindus. Their
food includes all those things which they eat or which they like. Mutton is the favorite food for
Muslims which is a must in every Muslim marriage. Gold ornaments are bought and used in every
religion. Another difference is that weddings Of Muslims are held in houses whereas wedding of
Hindus are held in banquets, hotels, farm houses, community halls etc . The number of rituals are less
as compared to baniyas or gujratis. Number of functions held are also less. A tent is fixed usually
outside the home. The tradition of giving gifts to the daughter is also very less as compared to Hindus.

CHRISTIAN WEDDING
A Christian Wedding includes an engagement and wedding.
A priest officiates at the ceremony. The groom's family arrives at the bride's home with gifts for her,
which include a sari, some jewellery and green glass bangles. The couple exchange rings, while the
priest recites prayers. Unlike Hindus, the girl s face is applied with jasmine oil with powdered
sandalwood.
The groom's family brings gifts in the form of clothes, jewellery and green glass bangles for the bride;
and the bride's family in turn presents the groom with a gift of clothes and perhaps a watch or gold
chain.

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The wedding takes place at a church. The bride wears a white dress and the groom wears a black suit.
No Christian wedding is complete without the reception, hosted usually by the bride's parents and
sometimes jointly with the groom's parents. It is often held immediately after the wedding. The bride
may choose to change her attire for this celebration.
The couple cuts the rich plum cake, so common to Christian weddings. The wedding reception is
replete with the services of a live band playing music and Western style dancing. The dinner menu
rarely deviates from the traditional 'yakhni pulao' (cooked lamb served with rice), chicken curry and
fish!
Fish and rice are main items in the food menu. Wine (both red and white) are always present.
Generally every man is wearing a suit. The consumer behavior depicted by Christians is different from
that of Hindus and Muslims. They do not indulge in buying bold colours or red and green. They prefer
to buy black suits. This is because they want to look sober and simple. They prefer to eat fish and rice.
A banquet is usually booked for the reception.

SIKH WEDDING
The customs that the Sikhs follow during their wedding ceremonies are similar to those practiced by
the Hindus. One important difference is that while the Hindus use Vedic texts the Sikhs use their holy
book, Adi Grantha (also called Guru Granth Sahib).
The consumption pattern in a sikh wedding is similar to that of a Punjabi wedding with minor
differences. A Sikh wedding takes place in the day time in the Gurudwara.

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So, It may be concluded that consumption of various items is done because of customs practiced.
However, consumption and usage of various items and services is common to every religion and
community- gold, cloths, tents, etc., But the quantity and type is different. The consumption on
marriages is because of culture, sub culture, rituals etc.
4.2.4 FESTIVALS
Diwali
Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate and decorate their homes. On Diwali night, Hindus dress
up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas inside and outside their home, participate in family
puja typically to Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth and prosperity. After puja, fireworks follow, then a
family feast including mithai, and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends.
Diwali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated. Diwali is one of the
biggest shopping seasons in India; people buy new clothes for themselves and their families, gifts,
appliances, kitchen utensils, small to big ticket items such as cars and gold jewellery. People also buy
gifts for family members and friends which typically includes sweets, dry fruits and seasonal
specialities depending on regional harvest and customs.
The festival celebrates Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and investment, spending and
purchases are considered auspicious. Diwali is a peak buying season for gold and jewelry in India. It is
also a major sweets, candy and fireworks buying season. At retail level, about US$ 800 million (INR
5,000 crores) worth of firecrackers are consumed in India over the Diwali season.
In almost every state, people ornament their houses and living places to celebrate Diwali. Clay-made
diyas, candles, multi-coloured electric bulbs and various other decorative items are used to keep the
ambience away from the darkness. Not only for Hindus. In fact, the festival is celebrated by the people
of every caste, creed and religion across India.

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Celebrations of Diwali include bursting of crackers and display of vibrant fireworks, which signifies
the attempt by the people to force the darkness completely out for the night. From cleaning the houses
to decorating it with colourful rangoli, from wearing new clothes to exchanging gifts, people are found
involved in various kinds of activities and festivities to signify the essence of love on this special day.
Today the exchanging of gifts is not so simple. The Diwali Gifts exchanging tradition has grown to
new heights in present times. It is considered socially mandatory to exchange Diwali Gifts will all near
and dear ones, including friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues and business associates. Great
importance is given on the product in this materialistic age unlike ancient times when feelings behind
gifts were far more important. There are wide variety of gift options. The traditional gifts like Lakshmi
Ganesh coins, idols, puja thalis etc are quite popular on Diwali. The other traditional gifts like sweets,
dry fruits, chocolates, decoratives come in stylish hampers and fancy Diwali packing. People also
exchange electronic gadgets, artifacts, jewelry, wrist watches etc. on this day.
Christmas
Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of
non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.
Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, an
exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various Christmas
decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe,
and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus,
Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during
the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because gift-giving and many
other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians
and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and
businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few
centuries in many regions of the world.
Other traditional decorations include bells, candles, candy canes, stockings, wreaths, and angels. Both
the displaying of wreaths and candles in each window are a more traditional Christmas display.
Eid

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Id al-Adha also called the Feast of the Sacrifice, the Major Festival, the Greater Eid, Kurban Bayram,
is the second of two religious holidays celebrated by Muslims worldwide each year. Men, women and
children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer in a large congregation is
an open waqf field called Eidgah or mosque. Affluent Muslims who can afford, i.e. Malik-e-Nisaab;
sacrifice their best halal domestic animals (usually a cow, but can also be a camel, goat, sheep or ram
depending on the region).The sacrificed animals, called aiya have to meet certain age and quality
standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. It is just spending for the sake of
spending.
In the time of Eid, People usually indulge in buying of clothes (for gifting purpose and for the purpose
of wearing on the occasion). Also food is purchased in bulk. Gift items like electronics are also
purchased. In many cases, the justification is, 'They buy me presents, so I should buy them something.'
It is not just the gifts and new clothing on the shopping list, but it is food, as well. Much of this food
will be thrown away in bins because people buy more than they could eat. For some, it is a show of
what money can buy or a form of generosity to make themselves feel good about purchases. Muslims
often visit bazaars and shopping malls with their families for Eid shopping. Women, especially
younger girls, often apply the traditional Mehandi, or henna, on their hands and feet and wear colorful
bangles. Gifts are frequently given new clothes are part of the tradition and it is also common for
children to be given small sums of money (Eidi) by their elders. Especially senior relatives
called Murubbis and to get together to share sweets, snacks and special meals including some special
dishes that are prepared specifically on Eid.
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi (Punjabi: viskh), also known as Baisakhi, Vaishakhi, or Vasakhi) is a festival celebrated
across the northern Indian subcontinent, especially in the Punjab region by the Sikh community.
People in the Punjab Region regard Vaisakhi as a harvest festival.
This day is also observed as the thanksgiving day by the farmers whereby the farmers pay their tribute,
thanking God for the abundant harvest and also praying for the future prosperity. Vaisakhi is one of
the important festivals and it is celebrated with fun and fervor by people of other religions too. It is
culturally and traditionally regarded as an important and significant Punjabi festival, further
exemplified by the thousands of Sikh pilgrims from around the world arriving each year to

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commemorate the day at the sacred Sikh sites of Nankana Sahib and Hasan Abdal. Most of the people
visiting big temples like Golden temple stay at accommodation of the temple or at nearby hotels. Since
the main purpose is worship accommodation is not very significant as long as it is close to the temple.
Since the harvest of crops is done, which they sell, farmers have a lot of income which they are ready
to spend on buying of new items. Also investment which they are looking to do, are done in this period
of time as this time is considered auspicious. any other big purchases are also taken. People also buy
new clothes as there are a lot of traditional fairs and melas where people prefer to go wearing newly
purchased clothing items.
4.2.5 Clothes

Figure 8: Socioeconomic breakdown of Indian Youth Population
Traditional Youth
The traditional youth consists of 67% of the young population, living mostly in the rural areas of India.
These are the places that have least western influence, and are rich in traditional values and cultures.
People here have deep rooted family traditions and are generally adept in the classical handicrafts.
Their major sources of trends are affected by Bollywood movies and small local news channels. The
design styles are quite basic, down-to earth, keeping special attention on vibrant hues of pink, blue,
oranges and red
Semi modern youth
Consisting of 31.5 percent of the youth population, they have moderate global influence. The youth
here are quite aware of the global trends, but on most occasions still stick to their traditional roots,
family values and customs. They frequently participate in festivals and often follow the traditional
Indian values. This represents their Indian identity and they consider themselves to represent the true

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Indian culture since they have maintained a fairly healthy balance between their Indian heritage and
modernization.
Modern youth
They are the most influential amongst the youth. They might be just 1.5 percent of the youth, but that
1.5% equals to roughly THREE MILLION people, and their numbers are growing strongly (70 percent
growth rate). They are tech savvy, highly influenced by western culture, music, food, fashion etc. They
are quite frequently the first to experiment new trends, often being trendsetters themselves. . They
prefer to have a more casual and completely comfortable style of clothing. They will often be looking
for the latest trends globally and will adopt them according to their own taste. This doesnt mean that
they go out of their way to avoid Indian attires. Quite the contrary, they too wear it sometimes on
special occasions. However, its more of a costume to be worn for a special occasion once in a while.
Even there, they manage to find western variations of it.
Market Trends
Menswear consumers are in a phase of transition; they no longer want to stick to wearing apparel of
defined styles and silhouette but also want to experiment with the look of the clothing. The demand for
occasion-specific clothing is rising within the menswear segment, e.g., the modern Indian male can be
seen in activewear at the gym in the morning; in formal shirts, trousers, and suits during office hours;
in smart casuals in the evening; and in dailywear/sleepwear at night. The demand for ethnic dressing at
special occasions like marriages and social functions is also a distinct trend. Many brands have
specifically forayed into mens ethnicwear to cater to this demand. Another interesting trend in the
menswear market is the steady growth in the premium tailoring segment comprising the fashion
designers and the bespoke / luxury segment. Customers in the super premium segment are willing to
pay a premium to ensure that their tailor-made clothing reflects their own personality and also helps
them differentiate themselves and get noticed.
With increasing women in the workforce, and the growing economic independence of women, the
demand for womens westernwear is at an all-time high, thanks to which womens westernwear is
emerging a clear winner in the womenswear market. This trend is expected to continue as more
women enter into the workforce or aspire to follow the lifestyle of working women. Within working
women, there is a clear trend indicating the growing acceptance of womens dresses and western

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formalwear. The working women in the metros and mini metros, in addition to traditional sarees and
salmar kameez, are moving towards dresses, formal suits, and business attire. Though these markets
may remain relatively small, they are expected to grow rapidly.
Punjabi
It is a custom to give clothes to all relatives at weddings and occasions and festivals which results in
bulk buying. Also punjabis are very vibrant enthusiastic and a bit too flashy and gaudy in their outfits
and a wedding is the perfect occasion to exhibit.
Marwari
Marwari men dress according to the heat- dressing up in kurta pjayamas or dhotis(traditional dress),
with white being the prominent colour. In contrast, women wear traditional dresses like sarees or
lehengas in a whole rainbow of colours. There is also a whole lot of jewellery that women wear as
traditional Marwaris are the businessmen of India and their wealth is reflected in the jewellery that
their women wear. With the affect of modernization trend is now shifting and people are now wearing
clothes like jeans, salwar kameez. But this is mostly prevalent in the metro cities.
Gujarati
The traditional gujrati family dress up very formally. The male adults usually wear shirts and trousers
while the female swear sarees, even in extreme hot climate. But with time, with western influence,
youngsters have started wearing jeans and t shirts . In gujrat, buying is a family activity . So even in
case of buying clothes choice is not of only of the person wearing them, but of the whole family. In
business oriented families, formal wear is the norm. So informal clothes like shorts or in which legs
are visible are frowned upon.
Malyalee
Due to weather constraints, the people in Kerela usually opt light cotton clothes. The climate is
usualyy sticky and humid. So both men and women prefer wearing flowing and unstitched garments.
Men wear mundu, a loose peoce of cloth wrapped around their waist. Women wear sarees. Teenage
girls mostly wear a long traditional skirt called the pavada. They are usually made of cotton. But some
of them are also made of silk. Sarees decorated with gold brocade are worn during weddings. Now

48

with the time, these traditional dresses are worn only on occasions, like celebration of new year or
marriages. Nowadays girls are often seen wearing salwar kameez or jeans top.
Corporate Culture
With the rise in education, there has been a rise in the proprtion of people opting for jobs in MNCs and
big IT and finance companies. The IT industry is one of the biggest growing sectors in the number of
employees. What makes this segment important is not only the growing numbers but also their
disposable income. There are also highly influenced by the western culture which affects their
behaviour in the market.
While shopping for clothes this segment considers shopping as leisure activity rather than a necessity.
Buying of clothes has become a fashion statement. They buy premium brands of formal wear. Also
they are willing to try in new styles and trends in market. They usually shop from their debit and credit
cards and are willing to spend a large proportion of their income on clothes.

4.2.6 EFFECT OF BELIEVES ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Religion and culture lead to formation of some believes and we have tried to map how religious
believes affect consumer behavior (based on personal interviews)
Hindus
Hindus eat vegetarian food on Tuesdays, which leads to closing down of many restaurants
which serve non vegetarian food.
Hindus never get their haircut done on Tuesday, and this is the reason of many hair cut shops
being closed on Tuesday.
There are mixed views about shampoos being done on Saturdays.
Hindus do not prefer to purchase cars or any other items made of iron and aluminum on
Saturdays. Sales of automobiles are lowest on Saturdays.
Hindus buy a lot of gold, silver ware and utensils on dhanteras. It is considered as a sign of
good luck.


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Muslims
As per our one on one chats with people of this community, here are few beliefs about them-
Muslims have there beliefs as per the Quran.
Muslims believe in tremendous fasting during Ramzaan in which they dont even drink water
when the sun is shining.
Unlike Hindus fasting where there is withdrawal from consumption of Non-vegetarian ,
Onion and Garlic, Muslim fasting doesnt involve any such thing.
Muslims are prohibited from consuming alcohol as per their religion.

After Discussing in detail, we could conclude that most of the beliefs were based more from the region
in which the communities were living. Beliefs of a Sikh or Muslim living in Delhi would be different
from that of one living in Bihar. Therefore, when it comes to specific beliefs, region is a better driver
than religion or caste.


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FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

As per the primary and secondary data considered by us including interviews, videos etc on different
individuals of different communities, we could conclude that culture is a sum total of INCOME
LEVEL, RELIGION, REGION, AGE and GENDER.
Based on our study the above mentioned factors have a huge impact on the purchase and usage pattern
of the consumers. Our survey depicts how such parameters differentiate one individual from another.
To get a better understanding, we segregated our study on MARRIAGE, FESTIVALS, FOOD
HABITS, INVESTMENT and CLOTHING which are highly important to every individual.

On the basis of SPSS, data was collected and the following was observed-
When it comes to Spice, breads, fruits, dairy products and rice there are little or no variations
in consumption pattern of married and un-married people.
However when it comes to sweets and fast foods the consumption pattern differed across
married and unmarried people.
When the spending preference on marriages was compared, we can conclude that there is not
much difference in the preference for food, decoration, apparels, jewelry and gifts among
consumers of different regions.
If we look at the preference of males and females, we observed that there is not much
difference in the preference for food, apparels and gifts in marriage.
Whereas there were significant difference in decorations and jewelry for males and females in
a marriage.
On the basis of qualitative research which included interviews, chats etc. the followings observations
were made:
People of South India contrasted highly on food habits, clothing and marriage when compared
to other regions whereas, in Investments and festivals not much difference was noticed.
CHAPTER 5

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In East India majorly West Bengal there were huge differences as far as marriage is
considered.
When it comes to investment, people from states with high literacy rate preferred investing in
equity.
As far as the modern day culture is considered- region, peer influence, standard of living
dominates the influence on consumer behavior than religion and caste as opposed to
conventional times.
5.1 MAJOR FINDINGS FROM THE INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED
Interview: Mimhansha Gupta , Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Marriage:
Four functions happens in baniya marriage
1) Tilak
2) Engagement
3) Wedding
4) Reception/ladies sangeet.
Functions happen in gardens and open banquets due to large gathering.
No non-veg food is served, different sections for Jain food and veg food.
Around 8 dresses are purchased for various functions in marriages.
In tilak, brides family gifts groom family where as in engagement groom family gifts bride
family.
No outright dowry is accepted, but expensive gifts are exchanged
Food:
Families prefer to go to fine dining restaurant than fast food restaurant
Very little consumption of alchohol
Desi Ghee, refined and mustard oil is used for cooking.
Lot of ethnic food is preferred. Such as dal baati churma.
In festivals cash is preferred a gift.

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Banking and Investment
Prefer to invest in gold, stocks and real estate in the same order.
Prefer locker facility in the bank.
Shopping Behaviour
Prefer to shop from pops and mom shops than malls
Occasions have huge impact on the shopping.
No black things are purchase on Saturdays
Only oil is never purchased.
Festivals:
Fasting- fruits are consumed once in a day
Khichdi Festival Khichdi is consumed
Major Festivals Teej, Karwa chowth
Interview: Rahul John, Christian, Kerela
Marriage:
Four functions happen in marriage
1) Marriage fixing
2) Engagement
3) Wedding
4) Reception
Divorce is not allowed as per Bible.
All religious functions happen in church such as engagement and wedding.
Both veg and non-veg food is served in the wedding along with alcohol.
No outright dowry is accepted, but expensive gifts are exchanged depending on the income of the
family.
Males generally prefer wearing suits for the wedding.


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Food habits
Youngsters prefer to go for fast food restaurants.
Typical south Indian food is preferred for breakfast
Christians generally prefer breads for breakfast.
Rice is a preferred meal across the entire south India
Consumption of sea food and beef is high
Sunflower oil and coconut oil is used a cooking medium
Coffee is preferred over tea.
No pub culture. Only in 4 star or 5 star hotels.
More of nuclear families in urban areas.
Investment in gold is preferred.
Interview: Dr. Megha Jairam, Brahmin, Bengaluru
Marriage:
Purely veg food
Baruta function- for non veg
Specific food- sichi roti- sweet dish
Alcohol strict no
Suits for boys and sarees (Kanjivaram) for girls.
Bride is sent with gold
Food:
Cooking oil- sunflower oil and olive oil.
Home delicacies traditional.
Curd rice is compulsory.
Not much outings and outing is occasion specific
Typical breakfast- rice, idli and other south indian delicacies.
Investment:
Major investment is on real estate

54

Shopping Behavior:
Shopping from malls
Occasion specific shopping
Major Festivals:
Ganesha and Krishna Janmashtmi
Different kind of dishes for example Ganesha- modak,
In Janmashtmi around 20 , 30 dishes are prepared.
Interview: Sayantan and Shreyasi, Bengali, West Bengal
Marriage:
As per rituals husband stays in wifes house for a day or two.
No alcohol is served
Function wifes house
Clothes - Bride-anarsi , GroomDhoti
Home appliances , no car in dowry
Food:
Fish and Rasgulla a must in weddings
Rice is a must in all the meals
Typical breakfast- puri bhajji and sweets
Street food such as gol gappa , jhal muri etc
Shopping Behavior:
Footpath culture.
North kolkata footpath culture.
South kolkata- malls , posh culture, clubs.


55

LIMITATIONS

6.1 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Consumer Behavior is inconsistent. i.e. It changes from time to time.
Sample Size
a. The number of responses from survey is small(100) and number of personal interviews
was also limited(20).
b. Since the sample size is not large, stereotyping might exist.
The consumer behavior of individuals of various religions is highly influenced by the area by
their area in which they live.
The impact of culture, religion, customs and traditions are difficult to interpret separately.
Time If more time would have been available, greater depths could have been explored.

6.2 FURTHER SCOPE OF THE STUDY
For better and more accurate results research can be conducted on larger segment next time. More
diversified sample can be taken from different region to get a broader view of culture and beliefs
on consumer behavior.
CHAPTER 6
I

ANNEXURE
A. QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear respondent,
This survey is for understanding the impact of culture on consumer behavior and it is
strictly for our academic purpose. Please spare a few minutes in filling the short survey,
which would really help us in our cause.

Name-_________________________

Age-
o 15-20
o 21-25
o 26-30
o 31-40
o 40 above

Gender
o Male
o Female

Region
o North
o South
o West
o East
o Others __________

Religion

II

o Hindu
o Muslims
o Sikh
o Christian
o Others ____________

Family Income (in lacs per annum)
o Below 2 Lacs
o 2-5 Lacs
o 5-7 Lacs
o 7-9 Lacs
o 9 Lacs and above

Marital Status
o Married
o Unmarried

Marriage:

If answer to the above question is unmarried, then answer on the basis of any marriage
you have attended in your religion:
1) How many functions do you have in a marriage?
1
2
3
4
Above 4
2) Do you prefer alcohol in your functions?
Yes
No


III

3) Do you prefer Non-veg food in the functions?
Yes
No

4) Rank the following in order of importance that you give while planning for weddings
and other associated functions, where 1 being the most important and 5 being least
important:

Items Rank Given

Food
Decoration
Apparels
Jewelry
Gifts

Festival:

5) What is the main festival celebrated in your religion?
Diwali
Eid
Christmas
Baisakhi
Others _____________

6) On the basis of your answer in the previous question, what item do you prefer to gift?
Cash
Sweets
Dry fruits

IV

Silver Items
Other gift items

7) What do you purchase for personal consumption on festivals?
Apparels
Jewelry
Home Dcor
Consumer Electronics
Car
Other ___________

Food Habits

8) What do you mostly prefer to eat?
Vegetarian Food
Non-vegetarian Food

9) Do you prefer to eat ready to eat food?
Yes
No

10) What kind of oil is used in your house for cooking?
Coconut Oil
Refined Oil
Mustard Oil
Olive Oil
Desi Ghee
Others _____________


V

11) How do you rate the following components of meal in your food basket? (1 being most
important and 5 being least important)

Component 1 2 3 4 5
Spice
Sweet
Breads
Rice
Fruits
Fast Food
Dairy
Products

Banking and Investment
12) Which bank do you prefer for your banking needs?
Public banks
Private banks
13) What all factors do you consider while choosing your bank? ( Rank in order of the
importance given where 1 is most important 8 being least important)

Factors Rank
Interest Rate
Customer Services
Branch Location
ATM Convenience
Peer Influence
Locker Facility
Safety of Deposits
Advertisement and Promotion


VI

14) Where do you prefer to invest?
Fixed Deposits
Gold
Real Estate
Stocks
Government Securities
Others______________

15) How much money do you invest annually?
Below 15,000
15,001 - 25,000
25,001 40,000
40,001 55,000
55,001 70,000

****Thank you!****


VII

B. REFERENCES

Saikat Mandal, (2012), "Does culture matter a consumer behavior perspective" IIM Ranchi
Mahesh Patel, (2003). INFLUENCE OF RELIGION ON SHOPPING BEHAVIOUR OF
CONSUMERS-AN EXPLORATORY STUDY . N.P College of Computer Studies and
Management, Kadi, Gujarat
MR. PARAMANAND DASAR*, DR. S.G. HUNDEKAR** & MR. MALLIKARJUN
MARADI, (2005). CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR ON CONSUMER DURABLES WITH
REFERENCE TO BIJAPUR DISTRICT. Global Istitute For Research And Education.
Santosh Kumar And Pankaj Dixit, (2010). The Influence of Culture on Consumer
Behaviour. Research Communication
Minoo Farhangmehr Aviv Shoham (2004). THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON
CONSUMERS: EXPLORATORY AND RISK TAKING BEHAVIOUR . University of
Minho
Dennis W.Rook (2004). The Ritual dimension Of Consumer Behaviour.
Philip Kotler, Marketing management Analysis, Planning and Control, Prentice
Hall of India Pvt., Ltd., New Delhi, III.
Leon G. Schiffman, Laslie Lazar Kanuk, (2003) Consumer Behaviour, Pearson India
Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.
By Michael R. Solemon,(2001) Consumer behaviour, Prentice hall of India Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi.
Ramanujan Majumdar(2010)'Consumer Behaviour' PHI Learning Private Limited
Grant McCraken, (1986)"Culture and consumption", Journal of consumer Research
The following additional links have been used:
http://66.197.210.45/Welingkar/v1/InternationalStudents/pdf/Indian%20Culture%20and
%20social%20evolution/tab-5sub-1.pdf
http://www.mbaskool.com/business-articles/marketing/4444-does-culture-matter-a-
consumer-behaviour-perspective.html

VIII

http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/culture-and-habit-on-indian-consumer-
behaviour-marketing-essay.php
http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BUS203-PoM-Ch3.pdf-
http://www.slideshare.net/Charindu/impact-of-culture-on-consumer-behaviour -
http://andymars.com/IT%20Articles/Formal%20Papers/Cultural%20Effects%20on%20C
onsumer%20Behavior%20Paper%20122610.pdf
http://iba8010kelly.alliant.wikispaces.net/file/view/Culture+and+Innovation+-
+An+integrative+framework+for+cross-cultural+consumer+behavior.pdf
http://www.communications.k-state.edu/doc/marketing-research/relgious-contrasts-in-
consumer-decision-behavior.pdf
http://www.abhinavjournal.com/images/Commerce_&_Management/May12/9.pdf
http://jbsq.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/JBSQ_5E.pdf
http://www.academia.edu/5350694/INFLUENCE_OF_RELIGION_ON_SHOPPING_BE
HAVIOUR_OF_CONSUMERS-AN_EXPLORATORY_STUDY
http://www.communications.k-state.edu/doc/marketing-research/relgious-contrasts-in-
consumer-decision-behavior.pdf
http://www.technopak.com/files/Indian_Apparel_Market.pdf - trends
http://www.publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-hub/essay/an-essay-on-the-indian-
festivals.html
http://www.researchersworld.com/vol3/issue4/vol3_issue4_2/Paper_14.pdf
http://www.livemint.com/Industry/NtwQADJEnsEmZhacWZuPtI/Festival-season-fails-
to-lure-Indian-consumers.html
http://www.slideshare.net/hemanthcrpatna/a-study-on-investment-pattern-of-investors-
on-different-products-conducted-at-asit-c-mehta-investment-intermediates-ltd
http://www.technopak.com/files/Food_Habits_and_Changing_Eating_out_Trends.pdf
http://sunilkunnoth2012.hubpages.com/hub/The-Food-Habits-of-Keralites-A-study
http://www.sodelhi.com/good-to-know/2708-food-habits-in-delhi
https://www2.bc.edu/~woodsiar/CB%20Chap%201%20Rook%20Ritual%20Dimensions
%20.pdf
http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/flee/www/mkt342/www/Lectures/week10.pdf
http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/17265_02_Hudson_Ch_02.pdf

YOUTUBE REFERENCES:
Impact of Culture on Consumer Buying Behavior_Shreya Mishra.avi.wmv-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MM5zOjeOuA
Multicultural Consumer from Pakistan-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5JLJdQApgo
Whirlpool's Ron Voglewede on influencing consumer behavior-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wuuMZiGUIs

IX

Zaika India Ka - A taste of migrant food in Delhi-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bEG6PXe8zk
Special dishes from God's Own Country Kerala-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE3mkihCYr4
Delicacies of Vadodara, Surat and Ahmedabad-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKqUkbirAf0
Arjita Anshul wedding @ Band Baaja Bride NDTV Goodtimes sabyasachi-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO48Q2852V4
Band Baajaa Bride: The first ever Christian wedding on the show-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1yBnQ2e8M

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