Salvation in a sachet is passe now. Rural India will no longer be the playing ground of the FMCG bigwigs alone. In fact, many sectors such as telecom, IT, retail and education are at various stages of striking a deal with the aam aadmi.

According to a recent Assocham report, the per capita income of semi-urban Indians is around Rs 15,000 per annum, whereas it’s Rs 7,000 per annum for rural populace. As per its findings, by 2012, the per capita income of rural population will double, and the rising per capita income will lead to a hike in their consumption patterns.

What’s more, the total number of rural households are expected to rise from 135 million in 2001-02 to 153 million in 2009-10. That means the largest potential market in the world is in the offing, says the findings.

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