Rural demand picking up but urban revival yet to come, says JPMorgan’s Latika Chopra

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Latika Chopra, Executive Director of India Consumer Research at JPMorgan, said rural demand in India has started to improve, but urban consumption is yet to show clear signs of recovery. Speaking at JPMorgan’s 10th Annual India Conference, she added that policy measures and the recent goods and services tax (GST) cut could support overall demand in the coming months.

Chopra noted that consumption growth has been weak in recent years. Steps such as moderating food inflation, income tax cuts, state-level stimulus, and the GST rate reduction are “going to be a significant enabler” by lowering consumer prices. Companies have already begun rolling out cheaper products and highlighting the changes through advertising.

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She said the impact will vary across categories. Food products could benefit more from price elasticity, premium products may see stronger uptake as they become affordable, and branded players may gain an edge over unbranded competitors. Price-point packs are also expected to support volume growth.

The extent of growth will depend on how much of a company’s portfolio falls under the reduced GST bracket. “For some companies, particularly in the food categories, this quantum could be significantly higher,” Chopra said.

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Overall, she expects sector volumes to improve gradually towards mid- to high-single digit growth in the second half of the fiscal year, with the December quarter providing the first test. “The next few months are going to give us the right trajectory of how substantial the recovery in volume growth would be,” she added.

For the full interview, watch the accompanying video

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