Religion: Off the Shelf

IIPM, GURGAON

And you thought that religion is fading in cities and among the educated? Check this. A survey by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) has already established that the stress of urban living is pushing people to search for anchors in their lives, which they recreate through religion. The survey found that 93% Indians – irrespective of education – believe in God; 64% visit a temple, mosque or gurudwara regularly and 53% offer prayers daily. It’s almost as if the till recently subdued religious fabric of a nation is now seeking manifestation in the conspicuous consumption that defines modern times. And as the daily grind becomes more hectic & competitive, “quick connects” with god are fast gaining momentum. On the one hand are Gayatri Mantra or Hanuman Chalisa ringtones, while on the other are guys providing services like online prayers and mobile donations.

Even deity statue makers are carving their own special niche in this godly industry. And while most statue purchases are still made through the unorganised market, some organised players are stepping in to take advantage, with Lladro being a key player among the latter. Indian mythological and religion inspired arts and sculptures in fact contribute over 20% of Lladro’s entire turnover. Says Sachin Jain, Senior Brand Manager at Lladro: “We are not a religious commodity brand; instead we are a brand that sells emotions, art and lifestyle.” Lladro began its Indian religious tryst with Ganesha idols in the year 2001. And when the 2,000 piece limited edition was a super success worldwide, Lladro successfully created and began selling Radha Krishna idols. “Then we created Lakshmi, which has been our best selling product in the world,” adds Jain. When they began crafting Lakshmi wares, they priced them starting Rs.1.64 lakh a piece. The same art is being sold at Rs.7.5 lakh a piece today. As per Jain, with the Lladro Lakhsmi their customers possess a unique statement of art. “And so we call it a lifestyle statement,” he says. Jain and others of his ilk are now awaiting the peak sales and marketing season of Diwali. Having already sunk huge moolah into tracking and maintain close relationship with customer, Jain particularly is confident about customer loyalty in the upcoming Diwali season.

Even travel companies are cashing in by organising religious yatras for the young and old alike. Talking to the magazine, Arup Sen, Executive Director, Cox & Kings reveals, “Of the estimated 400 million journeys undertaken by Indians every year domestically, close to 100 million journeys (nearly a fourth) are to pilgrimage centres like Tirupati, Shirdi, Golden Temple or even the Char Dham Yatra.” And the numbers are swelling. As per the estimates of Cox & Kings, the growth in this segment ranges between 25-30% across age groups and socio-economic profiles. No surprise that they’ve priced their services straddling the lowest and highest rungs (starting from Rs.5,869 to Rs.1,67,000 per person) of the market. Industry estimates peg the annual pilgrimage to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine alone at about Rs.474 crore every year.

This brings us to where the big monies really lie viz. the temples, mosques and churches, which are fast modernising their marketing and services to keep pace with the times and growing demand. And, leading the race are the gurus that claim to take you a step closer to spirituality and well being.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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