History of Marketing in India

The concepts and practices of marketing, as well as the ideologies that impel these, are rooted in specific social and cultural contexts, predominantly those of the USA, and Europe. Moreover, the Western dominance of marketing thought permeates it with Western values such as individualism and rationalism. This has led to important contexts outside these traditions such as India being overlooked.

India has an enormously rich and varied culture and history, and this book addresses the need to understand marketing practices within this diverse context. Such an understanding will not only enrich marketing as a discipline, but also provide both Western and Indian marketers and academics with valuable insights into the cultures and behaviors of Indian consumers. By analysing historical writings on business in India from the BCE period to the current period, and providing a coherent narrative of the marketing practices during these periods, it critically engages with the larger socio-economic structures which influenced, and were influenced by these practices.

All scholars of marketing history will find this a fascinating and unique assessment of a highly significant market.