The idea of an Indian Male Survey was conceived by Business Today and Monitoring and Research Systems (MaRS). The survey objectives were manifold: In a rapidly changing country, how were its men, who account for 52 per cent of the population, transforming along different dimensions? Chiefly, we wanted to examine the Indian male’s attitudes towards consumption, work, society, and his own future.

This being the first survey of its kind, we had no baseline figures that we could use to assess how the Indian male has changed. However, what we have been able to capture richly is his current state of mind.

The study was carried out among urban Indian working men belonging to socio-economic classes A, B and C drawn from all states of India except the north-eastern states and Jammu & Kashmir. The study universe consisted of the entire urban region in the select states with population of around half a million or more.

The survey was carried out in 35 towns spanning across three giant metros (with a population of 10 million or more), five big metros (with a population of 3.5 million to 7 million), eight mid-metros (with a population of 1.5 million to 3.5 million), six mini-metros (with a population of 1 million to 3.5 million) and 12 wannabe metros (with a population of 0.5 million to 1 million).

Systematic sampling at household level was adopted as the sampling methodology (booster sampling was resorted to in some cases to meet the SEC by Age quotas at each sample town level), with suitably selected random start points. Men were divided into four age segments: 21-30 years and unmarried, and three married age segments of 25-35 years, 35-45 years and 45+ years.