India, May 1 -- If you thought that shoppers in India's villages still buy loose staples and items of daily use that are unbranded, think again. Consumers in rural markets are lapping up branded fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), that is, products like flour, spices, pulses, tea, soaps and shampoos, detergents, among others, that come from listed FMCG companies. Additionally, these consumers are buying premium brands albeit in small pack sizes and adding new product categories to their purchase baskets. Contrary to popular perception, urban markets are driving growth for unbranded packaged goods.

These were some of the observations made by insights firm Worldpanel by Numerator at a recent webinar. Worldpanel maps household FMCG consumpti...