, Columnist
India and the Rise of the Octopus Class
The affluent are energizing the economy and burnishing the country’s foreign investment reputation. But is there a painful social divergence ahead?
Tentacles of consumer power.
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One of the more fascinating terms to emerge in recent months is the “octopus class” of India. It may sound a little slimy, but it’s positively apt: The mollusc’s ability to stretch its tentacles into nooks and crannies is applied to the relatively small group of people who are driving India’s dramatic growth in consumption — everything from pricey World Cup Cricket tickets to Royal Enfield motorcyles to Birkenstock footwear.