One hundred years ago the clearest way to identify the existance of a sizable middle class was via amusement parks. Today it’s the shopping mall — and they’re growing like crazy in India.
True, “organised retail industry accounts for just 3% of the country’s total retail sales,” leaving 97% of business as Mom & Pop establishments. Unlike the U.S., Indians don’t seem very brand-conscious yet; though in the holiday spot of Shimla and the shopping mall in Madras there was much more of it. The lack of brands can really, really throw an American for a loop.