This document provides a mid-review summary of Neha Sharma's summer internship project on religious rituals and worship in Indian households. It includes: - An overview of the project objectives and deliverables, including gaining insights into worship rituals, perceptions, and recommending concepts to resolve insights. - Summaries of secondary research on the incense industry, depth interviews conducted across Delhi neighborhoods, and insights uncovered related to perceptions of worship, materials used for worship and why, and needs by product. - Factors affecting purchase decisions like fragrance, price, and availability of ready-made packs for occasions are also discussed.

1. SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROJECT- MID REVIEW
An insight into the worshipping and religious rituals of the Indian household
Submitted By
Neha Sharma
Faculty of Management Studies

2. Project Overview & Marketing Decisions - Process Output Map
Secondary Data Analysis
Depth Interview Summary
Insights
Perceptions related to Puja
What is used in Puja and Why ?
Needs - product wise
Buyers’ Behaviour - Factors affecting their choice
Presentation Plan
Synergy with Dabur
Target Products

3. Project Overview & Marketing Decisions - Process Output Map
 The objective of this project is to unearth insights and resolutions for the Indian household pertaining to their
worshipping and religious rituals.
 The complete project includes four deliverables covering different aspects:
 First Deliverable – Market mapping of products used for worshipping at home.
 Second Deliverable – Gaining insights into the worshipping ritual – “Why they use/do, what they use/do”?
 Third Deliverable – Recommending insights that need to be targeted with justification.
 Developing winning concepts that will resolve these insights in the best possible manner.
 The presentation marks the completion of the first three deliverables.
Overview
Process Output Map
 The attached MS word document explains the process output map.

4. Secondary Data Analysis
Market Size INR 1200 crores (incld. INR 200 crores mkt. of
Dhoopbatti)
Market Leader
No. of Players (organised sector)
No. of Players (unorganised sector)
Share of organised sector
Other Major Players
Statistical Indicators of Incense Industry in India
NRR Group (Cycle brand – 8% market
share)
 India is the leader in the global incense sticks market catering to more than half of the world’s demand.
 India’s export earnings from incense sticks stand at over INR 220 crores.
 Market size of the domestic incense industry is approximately INR 1200 crores.
 Growth rate of the incense sticks market is 7% per year.
 India produces approximately 60 billion incense sticks in a year.
 The incense sticks market face a sudden upsurge in demand during the festive season.
 The state of Gujarat is highly advanced in the Agarbatti trade.
Industry Overview
Source: Ezinearticles, Blonnet, Digitaltoday, Haridarshan
Haridarshan, ITC
450
8500
40%
40%
60%
Organised Sector Unorganised Sector

5. Depth Interview Summary
Tilak Nagar
Ashok Vihar
Malviya Nagar
Moti Bagh
Lajpat Nagar
Nauroji Nagar
Areas Covered
 Ashok Vihar
 Tilak Nagar
 Moti Bagh
 Malviya Nagar
 Nauroji Nagar
 Lajpat Nagar
 Conducted 50 interviews – Housewives- SEC A and B.
Overview
Communities Covered
 Bengalis
 Punjabi
 Gujarati
 Rajasthani
 U.P.
 South Indian

6. Insights - Perceptions related to Puja
How do People Pray
 Most of the housewives pray in the morning after bath. Some of
them also pray in the evening.
 They sing aartis, clean the puja space, light diyas, agarbattis etc.
Most of them pray alone. Other members of the family also pray.
 They relate puja with peace of mind. They feel that though one can
pray anytime of the day following any process, still praying
ritualistically helps create an atmosphere wherein they feel
connected to God.
 They demand absolute silence during prayer.15-20 minutes is the
average duration.
 On days when they are not able to pray, they cited their feeling as being
‘restless’, ‘feeling incomplete’ and a ‘feeling of regret’. This feeling is not just
because of religious reasons but also due to the fact that it is a part of their
routine and they are used to it.
 Respondents also said they prayed so that they could pass on this culture to
their children as they themselves had learned it from their parents. So the
practice of puja is also seen as a cultural heritage.
 Respondents describe puja as ‘talking to God’. At times they feel that people
around them don’t have time for them. So talking to God gives them peace.
 They also think of God as a family member. So for them, offering prayer is
like taking care of a family member
 They view puja as something that gives them a break from their hectic lives.
Also it helps them and their family members from straying towards wrong
things like competition for material things, gossiping, stealing or fudging etc.

7. Insights - What is used in Puja?
What is used in Puja
Used Regularly Used Occasionally or by particular communities
Agarbatti Gangajal
Dhoopbatti Camphor
Diya (with cotton wicks) Bel Patta and Aam Patta (Bengalis on Thursday – Lakshmi Puja)
Roli/Sindoor Black Sesame Seeds (Saturdays – Shani Puja)
Chandan Kalawa
Mustard Oil/Sesame Oil/ Ghee Jaggery and Chana (Bengalis – Brihaspati Puja – Thursdays)
Shankh (Bengalis)
Coconut
Electronic Divas (during festivals)
Sai Baba’s Vibhuti (Sai Baba followers)
Betel Leaves and Supari
Hawan Samagri

8. Insights – Why is it used?
Why is Puja Material Used ?
 Agarbatti is used for fragrance. According to the respondents, fragrance helps create an
atmosphere conducive to puja. They also believe that fragrance makes God happy and
Lakshmi- the goddes of prosperity- visits houses that have fragrance. Also they like it
when people from outside visit their houses and praise them for having such an
atmosphere at home.
 Agarbattis are also used as room fresheners especially in rainy season.
 Tilak has a calming effect on the forhead. Red tilak is used for goddesses and Chandan
tilak for Shiva and other Gods.
 Chandan is used as a facepack for pimples.
 Camphor is ground, mixed in coconut oil and used as a treatment for dandruff.
 Gangajal is used for purification.
 Dhoop and camphor are used because the smoke emanating for them purifies the air
and protects them from ‘buri hawa’ (evil spirits).
 Dhoop is used as a mosquito/flies repellant in houses as well as grocery shops and juice
corners.

9. Insights - Needs – Product Wise
Agarbatti
 It is not safe. Its ashes can cause fire. Some respondents even stopped using agarbatti
because of this.
 Since the agarbatti is long, its ashes fall in a very big area making it difficult to clean the
puja space.
 Sometimes the fragrance is too strong- causes headache and suffocation.
 Difficult to fix it without a stand.
 The material of which it is made is of uneven thickness due to which it doesn’t burn from
tip to bottom.
 The supporting stick made of bamboo is very thin and weak. Sometimes they even find
broken agarbattis inside a pack.
Problem Areas
 Some people in the Hindu communities do not use agarbattis because they are used by
Muslims. They consider agarbattis impure especially the supporting part made of
bamboo.
Religious Blocks
 There are two kinds of needs- One group of respondents who stay at home and pray for
as long as 45 min feel that agarbattis should be long and thick so that they burn for as
long as they pray and more. Another group feels that sometimes when they go out, they
are worried that agarbatti may cause fire. In this case they’d prefer shorter ones. The
underlying thought is – agarbatti should burn for a shorter period but its fragrance should
linger for hours after burning. However the length is so closely associated with its
fragrance that it is a common belief that longer agarbattis will give more fragrance.
Length

10. Agarbatti
 The Agarbatti should have a mild fragrance that stays for hrs after burning.
 It should be made of natural materials (those used in havan samagri) of even thickness.
 It should have a strong base stick.
 It should not create smoke.
 It should be available in both formats- long as well as short. In fact even if it available in
one format only, it should be positioned as a product that burns for less time but gives off
fragrance for hrs.
 It should come with a stand. The stand should be such that it can contain the ash that flies
off.
 It should leave as less ash as possible. We can think of an ash-less agarbatti if possible.
Conclusion
Jyot Batti (Cotton Wicks)
 Some people make them at home. Others buy them.
 Some people store them after smearing them in ghee so that they are ready to use at the
time of prayer. So they can be made available in such a format. However there’s a
contradictory view according to which people like to make effort when they offer prayers.
(e.g. travelling on foot to Vaishnav Devi). So they like activities like preparing cotton battis
and dhoop battis just before prayer.
 These are also available in colours to make them attractive.
Problem Areas
Insights - Needs – Product Wise

11. Dhoopbatti
 Dhoopbatti is less fragrant than agarbattis. Also the variety in fragrances is limited.
 Does not burn from tip to bottom because of inferior quality of material used.
 Creates too much smoke.
 Blackens the walls. The soot particles fly in the air and cling to walls and clothes
blackening them.
 Sometimes it is made of very sticky material because of excess of ghee or some other
adhesive and dirties hands when users press it between hands to give it proper shape.
 Sometimes it is to too hard and dry to be moulded in desired shape.
 When stored for longer periods (like 2-3 months), the dhoop sticks develop cracks due to
dryness.
Problem Areas
 The dhoop batti should not create too much smoke. However it should not be made
entirely smoke less as some people believe that smoke purifies the air.
 It should contain ‘Gugal’- a special material used in havan samagri.
 It should not create soot. Respondents said its smoke should have medicinal properties
,e.g. similar to those of herbs say neem which are beneficial for one’s health.
 It should be available in both formats- sticks/cones and dough-like.It should be soft
enough to be moulded in shapes. It should not be hard and dry.
 Bengalis burn dried coconut shells in their festivals like Durga Puja. The burning shell is
known as ‘Dhoona’. Dhoopbatti should be available in this fragrance.
 It should burn slowly and for a long time (45 min). It should not be exhausted immediately
after burning. But it should be easy to light. It should not take time to be lit.
Conclusion
Insights - Needs – Product Wise

12. Roli
 Roli does not dissolve properly in water.
 It causes skin allergy.
 It contains abrasive material like sand, sometimes even glass crystals that injure skin.
 It leaves red spots on the forehead after it is removed.
 It clings to skin or idols making it difficult to remove it.
 It stains clothes as its particles keep falling off.
Problem Areas
Chandan
 Chandan comes in two formats- powder and sandalwood sticks.
 Many people use sticks which are ground and then the powder is used for tilak. They feel
that grinding it themselves guarantees that it will be pure. Others prefer powder as it is
convenient to use.
 Chandan should be fragrant and pure.
 It comes in three colors- white, yellow and orange. White chandan is most widely used.
Problem Areas
Hawan Samagri & Honey
 It should not cause irritation in the eyes when burning.
 It should have dried cowdung, Gugal, mishri.
 Honey should remain liquid. If it solidifies, it means it is not pure.
Problem Areas
Insights - Needs – Product Wise

13. Kapur
 Kapur comes in two formats- tablets and bigger slabs.
 People prefer tablets because of ease of usage.
 Mostly used in Jagrans and havans. Not used on a regular basis in households.
 Some people use it as a treatment for dandruff.
Problem Areas
Gangajal
 It is mostly fetched from places like Hardwar and Varanasi. Again the effort involved
matters. So it is not seen as a marketable product.
 However some respondents feel that Gangajal, from places like Gangotri that are difficult
to frequent, should be made available to them through market.
Problem Areas
Readymade Packs for Occasions
 For occasions like yajnas and festivals, people want ready-made packages that contain all
the puja items viz Roli, Chandan, Rice, Sindoor, Kalawa, Camphor, Incense sticks, Dhoop,
Supari, Cardamom, Cloves, Cotton wicks, Gangajal, Mishri etc.
 These are available in various sizes.
 One important consideration is that items like betel leaves, mango leaves and supari
should be ‘akhandit’ (whole, unbroken) e.g. betel/mango leaves should not have any cuts
and should have sticks at the end. Cloves should also be whole.
Problem Areas
Insights - Needs – Product Wise

14. Insights - Factors affecting purchase decision
Fragrance
 Sandal is the most favoured fragrance. Mysore sandal is very popular.
 Other popular fragrances are kewra, rose, jasmine, floral. With a woody undertone.
 Fragrance of Dhuna is very popular among Bengalis. Most of the Bengali women said it reminded them of the Durga
Puja in Calcutta during their childhood days. So it has sweet memories attached to it. No agarbatti is available in this
fragrance as of now.
 Bengalis also use a resin-like material which is called Sugandhi. This is used as dhoop in pujas but is more expensive
than dhoop. It’s brought especially from Calcutta.
 Should be mild and long lasting.
 Agarbattis and dhoopbattis should be available in new fragrances. There
are some agarbattis in the market that have a fruity fragrance (Lia from
Cycle Brand) but these are not very popular.
 The fragrance should spread quickly in the entire house from the mandir.
 New fragrances can be woody (similar to the fragrance of trees in jungle),
fragrance of spices like garam masala, cardamom
 Some of the respondents complained that the fragrance is not the same
even if they buy the same product again. So it should be consistent.

15. Price
 Price sensitivity in the this area is very high. Due to availability of a large number of substitutes and dearth of
established brands, demand for agarbattis is extremely elastic. Most respondents feel that price of a new agarbatti
should not exceed the prevailing price. In fact in the beginning, they even expect the prices to be lower than other
brands.
 On daily basis, people want low priced products. On an average, price of an agarbatti stick should be around 50 p
and for a dhoopbatti stick, it should be 1 Re or less.
Item Price Rs Gms/sticks Brand
Agarbatti Low 2 10 sticks Mangaldeep – Madhur
Low 10 30 sticks Cycle
Most Common Medium 15 20 sticks Unknown Brands
Medium 35 100 sticks Unknown Brands
Medium 100 275 grams Cycle-All in One – 6 packs
Medium 100 360 grams ECO (under Cycle brand)
High 11 27 grams Rhythm (under Cycle brand)
High 20 70 grams Rhythm (under Cycle brand)
Dhoop Low 5 Lasts one week Hari Darshan
Chandan 30 Lasts 3-4 months Unknown
Camphor 32 60 tablets Saraswati, Hari Darshan
Cotton Wicks Low 25 100 wicks Not branded
Ready made packs 45 All items Care Mate-Pantaloon Retail
100 All items Reliance
Insights - Factors affecting purchase decision

16. Price
 On occasions, they’d not mind buying expensive products e.g. there’s a pack launched by Cycle Brand that has only
4 sticks for 25 Rs. But each stick burns for 3 hrs. The sale of such products is limited to occasions like Diwali,
Navrattras and Jagrans.
 People are not senstive towards prices of other products like chandan as they last for long periods.
 Some people like to buy puja stuff in bulk. For example, in the International Trade Fair, Haridarshan sells puja bags
for Rs 125 that have all the items and last for 8-9 months.
 Monthly expenditure comes around 100 Rs. (150 Rs for Bengalis)
Insights - Factors affecting purchase decision

17. Packaging
 Packaging is the first stimulus provided to the customer. So it has to be attractive.
 ITC is using a special kind of fragrance-locking pack.
 Cardboard packs indicate better quality than products wrapped in thin polythene wraps.
 There are two differing views on what should be shown on the packets. Some
respondents say that the packs should have pictures of Gods and Godesses on them.
This induces them to buy these products.
 Other users feel strongly that packs should not have pictures of Gods on them as it
makes their disposal difficult. They cannot throw such packs in dustbins and have to
collect them and throw them in river which is very inconvenient.
 Respondents prefer packs that list all the benefits of the product. Also if the product uses
some special ingredient, the pack should have a mention of the same. One of the
respondents said it should have an ISI mark.
 One of the respondents suggested that pack should have the details of the manufacturer and
the name of the state. Many respondents said they preferred sandal agarbattis made in
Karnataka. The pack should also have contact details of the company for feedback.
 3 key phrases that must feature on a pack of dhoop are ‘Contains Gugal’, ‘Soft’ and ‘Made of
Desi Ghee’ as these are the key indicators of quality. Other benefits can be ‘easy to light’,
‘burns slowly’, ‘No soot’, ‘contains havan samagri’.
 Agarbatti pack has a small hole in it that acts as a stand. Some of the bigger packs (Cycle
Brand) also have small wooden stands inside the pack.
 Key phrases for Roli packs – ‘No chemicals’, ‘Dissolves Easily’
 An agarbatti pack should have more than 1 fragrance e.g. 4 in 1.
Insights - Factors affecting purchase decision

18. Availability
 Since there are several substitutes available, constant availability is extremely crucial. There is no such brand for
which the people will wait and come back to buy it if it is not available.
 Some of the places where puja items are bought are:
Nearby general stores Handicraft Melas
Fair Priced stores like Big Bazaar, Subhiksha, Kendriya
Bazaar
Khadi Ashrams
International Trade Fair Aasaram Ashrams etc.
Dilli Haat
Promotion
 Most branded companies use promotional offers for selling these products. For example, ITC gives a pet jar free with
2 packs of Mangaldeep Agarbatti. A pack of Lia agarbatti(under Cycle brand) comes with a free gift(a beauty soap). In
Big Bazaar, local brands sell with a ‘Buy One Get One’ scheme.
 Respondents feel that test samples of agarbattis and dhoopbattis should be available in shops as in the case of
deodorants.
 Ideal Strategy- Viral Marketing+ Push Strategy. Respondents said that if they liked a fragrance in somebody’s house
or at a shop, they are driven to buy that fragrance. Almost all the respondents said that they rely on the
recommendation of the shop-keeper for buying a new brand of agarbatti. So in this case, ‘Push Strategy’ will be very
effective
 Other channels of communication are magazines. ITC has launched a mass media campaign on its brands of
agarbattis backed by large-scale sampling through vernacular magazines.
 TV ads are also used but have very poor results in terms of brand recall. Many respondents said they had not seen
any ad related to puja material and those who had, faintly remembered what was shown but not the name of the
brand.
Insights - Factors affecting purchase decision

19. Synergy with Dabur
The Inherent Advantage
 Dabur is the world’s largest manufacturer
of Ayurvedic medicines, which are based
on an ancient Indian system of health
care, and promote natural and holistic
living. Its competitive advantage lies in its
niche position as the premium player in
‘herbal’ personal care products.
 Since agarbattis and other puja materials
are also made from natural items, the use
of 'ayurvedic' or 'herbal' ingredients can
prove to be the differentiator for Dabur.
Respondents said the name of Dabur
would guarantee quality and the use of
natural ingredients.
How will this help
 Dabur is already making home care
products like room fresheners..
 Dabur can easily foray into the Agarbatti
market because of its expertise in
fragrances.
 Dabur has worldwide presence in 50
countries including USA.
 USA is the largest export market for
agarbattis and related items. The export
market crossed the INR 220 crores mark
in 2007. So this is also in line with its
vision of reaching out to new geographies,
within and outside India.
 One of the strengths of Dabur is its distribution network. Dabur’s products are available all over India, in more than 15
lacs retail outlets. 5,000 distributors service the entire country through a wide marketing network. They can harness
this network to take the new product to people all over the country.

20. Target Areas
What should we target
 Agarbatti, Dhoopbatti and Roli are the products that we can target.
 However, for occasions, we can consider entering into the special packs market
as the demand for these shoots up in the festive seasons and can result in
substantial sales.
Item Used by all
communities
Purchased
weekly/monthly
Substantial Share in
Monthly Budget
Should We Target
It?
Agarbatti    
Dhoopbatti    
Roli    
Chandan    
Gangajal    
Camphor    
Hawan Samagri    
Cotton Wicks    