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INDIA TOPS NIELSEN GLOBAL CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX AT 121 POINTS IN
Q4 2012
More than one in five consumers feels it is a good time to buy
Job security, economy remain biggest concerns for the online Indian consumer
MUMBAI – Consumer confidence in India increased two points to 121 in Q4 2012 from last quarter,
according to consumer confidence findings from Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and
insights into what consumers watch and buy. India has picked up on levels of optimism from Q2 and
Q3, where it was steady at 119 points, though lower from Q1 when confidence levels were at 123
points. For the same period last year, India’s index stood at 122.
“As the year ends, the rise in optimism is welcome, and is being encouraged by marketers who are
sensitized to the pressures consumers have been facing through the year. The aspirational Indian is
willing to upgrade, while more value conscious consumers are more responsive to deals and buying
in bulk to keep expenditure buoyant,” said Piyush Mathur, president, Nielsen India Region.
The Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, established in
2005, measures consumer confidence, major concerns, and spending intentions among more
than 29,000 respondents with Internet access in 58 countries. In the latest round of the
survey, conducted between November 10 and November 27, 2012, consumer confidence
declined in 33 countries and increased in 19 countries, compared to the prior quarter.
Discretionary Spending & Savings
Fifty-four percent of respondents in India indicated they would put spare cash into savings,
eight percentage points lower than last quarter (62% in Q3). Thirty-nine percent said they

would invest in new technology and products, while 36 percent reported they would spend
spare cash on new clothes.
Fifty-five percent of Indian respondents said they consider it a good time to buy things they
want and need in Q4. Optimism levels have increased six percentage points from last quarter,
when 49 percent (in Q3) claimed it was a favorable time to buy, and is one percentage point
lower than the same period last year (54% in Q4 2011).
Slightly more than four in five online consumers (81%) indicated they have changed their
spending habits to save on household expenses. The top three actions that these consumers
have taken are to save on gas and electricity (53%), spend less on new clothes (49%), and
cut down on telephone expenses (38%).
“The fourth quarter highlights the willingness of people to spend during the holidays and
festival season. This is highlighted by the sharp difference between the third and fourth
quarter in terms of buying activity.The optimism, though, is tempered with a judicious
controlling of household and discretionary expenses in order to balance the household
budget,” said Mathur
Perceptions of Job Prospects, Personal Finances
In Q4, 76 percent of online respondents in India are optimistic about their job prospects in the
next 12 months, a point below the 77 percent in Q3 2012, and two points below the same
period last year (78% Q4 2011). Optimism on personal finances in Q4 is the same at 76
percent as in Q3.
Globally 76 percent of online consumers in India and Philippines are the most optimistic about
job prospects in the next 12 months, followed by online consumers in Thailand (70%) and
China (70%).
Job Security and Economy Remain Key Concerns
Nielsen’s survey shows that job security and state of the economy continue to be the top
concerns for Indian respondents. For one in five respondents (20%), job security is the
biggest concern in Q4, down two points from Q3 (22%). The state of the economy is the
biggest concern for 11 percent of respondents, down by three points from Q3 (14%). Well-
being of parents (9%) and fair work-life balance (9%) are the other two biggest concern
areas.

One in 10 Indian respondents (10%) indicated that increasing food prices are the second
biggest concern this quarter, up three points from Q3 (7%).
Slightly more than three in five online respondents (61%) said they believe India is going
through an economic recession this quarter, one percentage point lower than Q3 (62%).More
than half (51%) of the online respondents believe that the country would be out of recession
in the next 12 months.
About the Nielsen Global Survey
The Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions was conducted
between November 10–27, 2012, and polled more than 29,000 online consumers in 58
countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and North
America. The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on their
Internet users, is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers, and has a maximum
margin of error of ±0.6%. This Nielsen survey is based on the behavior of respondents with
online access only. Internet penetration rates vary by country. Nielsen uses a minimum
reporting standard of 60-percent Internet penetration or 10M online population for survey
inclusion. The China Consumer Confidence Index is compiled from a separate mixed
methodology survey among 3,500 respondents in China. The Nielsen Global Survey, which
includes the Global Consumer Confidence Index, was established in 2005.
About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with
leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media
measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows, and related properties.
Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA,
and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com

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Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, Q4 2012
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Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, Q4 2012

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Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, Q4 2012
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Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, Q4 2012
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Source: Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, Q4 2012