Consumer Voice

Rupee fell to a 13-month low after data showing inflation at a new 3-½ year high heightened worries about slowing growth, record oil prices and the risk of foreign investors withdrawing funds. (17 May 2008)

World Bank has approved a USD 600 million credit to support the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, to provide children aged 6 to 14 with quality education. (17 May 2008)

The heads of more than 80 central educational institutions have voiced concern about the problem of faculty and resources they would face in expanding seats (17 May 2008)

Tata launches new Indica with dual petrol, LPG engine : financial express (17 May 2008)

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Will you celebrate a corporate Rakhi this year?

This year’s Rakshabandhan would arguably be the most commercialised Raksha Bandhan ever in the history of this few centuries old festival. Corporate and media interest in what used to be a delightfully simple occasion to celebrate relationships and foster ties within families has turned into a day when products and services are traded to the hilt. Consider this:

	The world’s largest confectionery maker Cadbury announces every year on Rakshabandhan that gifting mithai to your brother and sister is passé. If you don’t celebrate Rakhi with a pack of Celebrations chocolates, the day isn’t worth it.
	If Divali is for car-makers, Rakhi is for watch brands. After Maxima, Tissot has also jumped into the fray offering ‘power watches’ as a substitute for the humble thread Rakhi. Never mind that this ‘power Rakhi’ comes with a price tag of Rs 11,800 and above.
	An advertisement that is doing the rounds of radio stations these days is that of D-Dmas that is asking consumers to consider the ordinary Rakhi passé and opt for a gold Rakhi instead, that can be worn on the wrist all year round.

And then of course there are the regular advertisements by Haldiram’s and the likes, tempting people with packaged and branded mithai on the D-day.

The question that looms somewhere in the background is if from here on, we will ever be able to ‘unbrand’ Rakshabandhan? Why does the consumer in us take precedent over the sister or brother that we may be? How many crore of rupees will the corporates net in, on account of booming sales of branded chocolates, gold and silver watches this year, and will small time Rakhi makers be increasingly marginalized?

Think about this for a minute this Wednesday.

Happy Rakhi!