“There are now about 1.6 million Indian house holds that spend $9,000 a year on luxury goods.”

“Just before New Year’s Eve [2005], Tag Heuer hosted an all-night party for big spenders in Goa. About 400 diamond-dripping, air kissing, Indians decked out in brands like Manolo Blahnik and Balenciaga sipped champagne and sampled canapes as they watched Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan play volleyball and emcee a bikini contest. “India cannot hide behind the fact that it is a developing country anymore,” says Khan. “Every Indian now wants to own products that inspire awe and envy.” Can the French sell cake to people who not long ago had to scramble for bread? Given the ambitious plans luxury brands have for India, they seem to think so.”

Source: Time, April 10 2006
Article by Jessica Carsen/London

Photograph by Vinita Davé taken in October 2005.

Irrespective of India’s new rich, the majority still do ’scramble for
bread’ Jessica.

As India experiences tremendous economic development “…the appearance of Western gadgets [become one of] the most reliable spurs to economic growth. [A] theory, which we might term the theory of ‘pressurizing’ or economic training in consumption, linked to pressurized economic growth, is seductive.  It shows up-forced acculturation to the process of consumption as the logical next stage in the development of the industrial system…”.

Far from being passive victims in an innevitable system of development, new rich consumers should to some degree be attuned to the “whole logic of differentiation, the distinguishing processes of class or caste which are fundamental to the social structure and are given free rein in ‘democratic’ society.  In short, there is a whole sociological dimension of difference, status etc., lacking here in consequence of signs and differences, a dimension no longer grounding consumption as limited in terms of ‘harmonious’ individual satisfaction (which might thus be limited in terms of the ideal norms of ‘nature’), but as an unlimited social activity.”

Source: The Consumer Society, Myths & Structures, Jean Baudrillard, 1970.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 5th, 2006 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.