Shelf and price checks
Field teams record competitor brands, pack sizes, prices, promotions and shelf share in sampled outlets, with photos, across target cities.
Services · Corporate research
Numbers from shops, distributors and households, not only from reports
Bharat Survey runs market entry research in India for foreign brands, Indian companies moving into new states, investors and the strategy teams advising them. Desk estimates tell you how big a market might be. We test them in the field: consumer and business surveys, retailer and distributor interviews, price and shelf checks, and competitor mapping in the cities and towns you are considering, so the entry case rests on data someone actually collected.
- Bottom-up sizing from field counts and surveys
- Channel and distributor interviews
- Price, shelf and competitor checks by city
- Clear line between measured data and assumptions
3,000
Target outlets
2,184
Visited
1,962
Audited
1,871
Accepted
Daily accepted auditsLast 12 days
Quality
Accepted1871
In review64
Outside area19
Weak signal8
Top gaps · by territory
Out of stock62%
Planogram48%
Price label31%
Visibility24%
Ram Kumar · shift on
26.8467 N · 80.9462 E · ±12 m
14
Received
12
Accepted
1
Review
1
Outside
Bottom-up market sizingRetailer and distributor interviewsPrice and shelf checksCompetitor mappingTier 2 and tier 3 townsRural demandConsumer surveysAssumption registers
Where desk research runs out
India is a set of very different markets sharing one border. A national figure from a syndicated report rarely tells you whether a product will sell in Indore, Guwahati or a block town in Bihar.
A feasibility study answers a practical question: given what customers will pay, how products reach them, and who already sells to them, is entry in this place worth it? Strategy consultants and in-house teams usually build the model. Our role is the primary evidence the model depends on: what consumers buy and spend, what retailers stock and at what margin, how distributors work, and how competitors price and place their products.
We keep a written register of every assumption in the entry case and mark which ones field data has confirmed, contradicted or left open. That register tends to be the most useful page for the decision meeting.
India entry strategy consulting, and where we stop
We are a research and data collection firm. We do not give legal, tax, foreign investment or regulatory advice, and we do not choose partners or negotiate for you. We work alongside advisers who do, and we hand over data and findings in a form their models can use.
Typical study components
- Consumer survey in target cities
- Retail census or outlet sample
- Retailer and distributor interviews
- Price and shelf audit
- Competitor mapping
- Assumption register
Sizing
We usually build more than one estimate and show where they agree.
Households or businesses times usage
Survey a sample of target households or businesses on use and spend, then scale using population or establishment counts from public sources such as Census 2011 and the Economic Census, with their age stated.
- Sampled usage and spend
- Public base counts
- Ranges, not single points
Outlets times throughput
Count relevant outlets in sample areas through a retail census, then ask retailers about weekly sales of the category. Scale by outlet density.
- Outlet counts in sample areas
- Retailer-reported sales
- Density-based scaling
Distributor and wholesaler volumes
Interview distributors and wholesalers on category volumes they handle in a territory, and triangulate with the other two estimates.
- Territory volumes
- Channel margins
- Cross-check with demand side
3,000
Target outlets
2,184
Visited
1,962
Audited
1,871
Accepted
Daily accepted auditsLast 12 days
The layers
The three layers are simple to define and easy to inflate. Each layer should narrow for a stated, measurable reason.
TAM
Total addressable market
All spending on the problem your product solves in India, whatever the channel or brand. Usually from demand-side sizing.
SAM
Serviceable available market
The part of TAM you can reach with your price point, channels and geography in the entry plan, for example urban modern trade in six states.
SOM
Serviceable obtainable market
The share of SAM you can realistically win in the first years, based on competitor strength, distribution reach and trial rates from field research.
The arithmetic
TAM SAM SOM calculator logic, shown step by step
There is no magic in a TAM SAM SOM calculator; it is multiplication with honest filters. TAM equals the number of potential buyers times annual spend per buyer. SAM applies the share of those buyers in your target geographies, channels and price band. SOM applies an achievable share, which should come from evidence such as trial and repeat intent, distribution coverage you can fund, and competitor share in comparable launches.
We deliver the model as a spreadsheet with every input linked to its source: a survey table, an outlet count or a stated assumption. Change an input and the three layers update, so the team can test scenarios instead of defending one number.
- TAM = potential buyers × annual spend per buyer
- SAM = TAM × share within target geography, channel and price band
- SOM = SAM × achievable share from field evidence
What the assessment covers beyond size
Size is only one part of an assessment. We also report route-to-market options, typical trade margins, credit terms retailers expect, price bands where competitors cluster, and the features or pack sizes customers said they would switch for.
Our view on market size slides
Know the field
Competitive intelligence here means structured observation and public information, never deception or confidential data.
Trade interviews
Retailers and distributors describe which brands move, margins and schemes offered, and service levels, in their own words and with consent.
Public information review
Company filings, product catalogues, job postings and published announcements summarised by competitor.
Clear ethical limits
No misrepresenting who we are, no approaching competitor employees for confidential information, and no purchase of leaked data.
Not the right fit if
- You need legal, tax, FDI or licensing advice
- You want a syndicated industry report bought off the shelf
- You want competitor confidential information
- You need a board-ready strategy recommendation without primary research
A good fit if
- Testing a desk-based entry case in real cities and towns
- Sizing categories where no reliable report exists
- Understanding distributors and retailers before signing partners
- Comparing states or city tiers for launch order
Corporate research solutions
All corporate research services.
Learn moreConsumer research
Deeper studies of buyers and usage.
Learn moreRural market research
Villages and small-town markets.
Learn moreBrand tracking
Awareness and preference after launch.
Learn moreIVR survey
Very short phone surveys.
Learn moreContact
Share category, target states and timeline.
Learn moreFAQ
Straight answers to the questions people ask most about this topic.
How long does a market entry study take?
It depends on the number of cities, the mix of consumer, retailer and distributor research, and languages. A focused study in a few cities commonly takes several weeks from questionnaire sign-off to report. We share a week-by-week plan with the proposal.
Can you size a market with no published data?
Often yes, by building estimates from the demand side, the outlet side and the trade side and comparing them. Where the three disagree widely, we report a range and explain the reason instead of forcing a single number.
Do you cover small towns and rural markets?
Yes. Field teams work offline in villages and small towns, and outlet and household samples can be drawn from tier 2 and tier 3 towns and rural blocks as well as metros.
How is a market entry study priced?
Pricing is on quotation, driven by the number of cities, sample sizes for each research component, languages and reporting depth. Share your category, target geographies and decision date for a scoped proposal.
India Nationwide, Hindi-first
Send the category, target geographies and the decision you need to make. We will propose the smallest study that can answer it.