Entrepreneurial Households show strong demand for core services delivered locally, with 74%+ willing to pay more for healthcare and education
- New data from 7,700 households in 12 states points to rising demand for quality core services among 247 million Entrepreneurial Households in India
- The study reveals that 86% of households have multiple income sources and 84% expect household income to rise in the next two years
- Over 60% experience local services gaps in healthcare and education and are willing to pay more, if delivered locally
- The need for specialist businesses to serve Entrepreneurial Households at scale
Bengaluru, 07 May 2025, 4:00PM IST— EPIC World, a comprehensive global platform, today announced the launch of a report titled, ‘Reimagining Local Economies: Unlocking the Potential of Entrepreneurial Households’. This first-of-its-kind study sheds light on the rising demand for quality core services among 247 million Entrepreneurial Households in India. The report is based on a survey of 7,700 Entrepreneurial Households across 173 districts in 12 states. Managed by 1Lattice, with oversight by Prashant Kolleri (formerly of NielsenIQ), it was conducted in collaboration with four trusted channel partner companies—SarvaGram, CureBay, LEAD School, and Samunnati. The survey was sponsored in part by Temasek, contributing to its successful execution.
The findings reveal that local economies have strengthened. As many as 80% of Entrepreneurial Households (EHs) report the availability of more job opportunities within their own villages. The survey also indicates growing economic confidence: 86% of EHs report multiple income sources, 61% have two or more earning members, and 84% expect their income to rise in the next two years. This vibrancy has been bolstered by improved infrastructure—91% report better roads, electricity, and connectivity. Additionally, rising digital adoption is playing a catalytic role: 81% of households report increased usage of UPI and other digital payment tools, enabling more seamless participation in the formal economy. Together, these trends are transforming rural and semi-urban India into thriving hubs of economic activity—where households can now build sustainable futures locally, without seeing migration as a prerequisite for progress.
This report reframes India’s economic future around the unmet needs of Entrepreneurial Households. With 78% willing to pay more for improved healthcare and 74% for better education, EHs represent a clear and viable market for specialist businesses that are rooted in their context. In fact, this percentage rises when they have to travel >1hr to access the services - 86% for healthcare and 81% for education. The demand exists—and it’s matched by commercial viability. Companies already serving EHs have demonstrated strong returns, as seen in the EHI Index, which reports a 22% 5-year revenue CAGR and 16% 5-year aggregate ROE, for the period ended March 31, 2024. These households are active participants in India’s growth story, ready to invest in quality products and services built for them. The next generation of businesses must be purpose-built for EHs—leveraging phygital distribution, asset-light models, and household-level analytics—to unlock not only growth but durable value in one of India’s most aspirational and underserved segments.
Jyotsna Krishnan, Co-founder and CEO, EPIC World and Managing Partner, Elevar Equity “Entrepreneurial Households represent over 70% of India’s population, yet they continue to be underserved by mainstream businesses. This report is our effort to bring greater visibility to their evolving aspirations and commercial readiness. Our two decades of experience indicates that companies which are deeply local, tech enabled with a phygital presence and built on trust, will be well placed to serve this customer segment. At EPIC World, we’re developing critical capabilities to accelerate the building of blue chip companies focused on Entrepreneurial Households. The market is ready for both founders and investors to double down, with a long term view."
Ashish Dhir, Senior Director, Consumer and Retail, 1Lattice “This study is among the most detailed and granular investigations of India’s Entrepreneurial Households to date. By covering 7,700 households across 173 districts and 12 states, we’ve captured how financial behaviour, digital adoption, and investment priorities are evolving at the household level. The f indings offer compelling evidence of commercial readiness—especially the willingness to pay for core services and the growing role of women in income generation. These are not marginal patterns; they reflect a systemic shift in how India’s unseen middle is shaping their economic futures.”
Another key trend uncovered by the report is the increased participation of women in income-generating activities. 87% of EHs surveyed report this shift, and notably, 92% of women recognise their own growing economic role. Women are not just contributors—they are becoming decision-makers and independent consumers, significantly reshaping household dynamics and purchasing behaviour. This shift opens new frontiers for businesses: whether in healthcare, education, financial services, or household products, solutions that engage women meaningfully will gain traction and trust in this segment.
About EPIC World
EPIC World is a comprehensive global platform created to help build and scale 50 blue chip companies that address the needs and aspirations of Entrepreneurial Households, a segment defined by their economic resilience, innovativeness and generation of multiple sources of income. It aligns capital strategies, customer insights, and trusted brand-building to achieve its goal. Learn more at https://www.epicworld.com/.
*Entrepreneurial Household (EH): EHs are households with multiple sources of income which seek upward socio-economic mobility and are ready to invest in their growth. These customers, formerly referred to as the bottom of the pyramid have evolved into drivers of economic growth, which strategically channel their multiple incomes into High Priority Goods & Services (HPGS) and business investments.