This study assesses the differences in the consumption pattern of Indian households across rural and urban sectors, geographical regions and income categories between 1993–94 and 2011–12. The study revealed a considerable decline in the monthly per capita cereal consumption from 13.40 kg in 1993–94 to 11.23 kg in rural India in 2011–12, the corresponding figures for urban India being 10.63 kg and 9.32 kg. Apart from income and food prices, other structural shifts (not related to prices) have influenced the changes in food consumption pattern across different classes. The rural consumers were spending larger proportion of their food expenditure on cereals, pulses, sugar and edible oils as compared to their urban counterparts. On the other hand, the urban consumers as compared to rural were spending more on milk and milk products, egg, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables. The changes over time in these proportions were larger for rural consumers than for urban ones. The findings were in conformity with Engel's law and Bennett's law of consumption. Rural India exhibits a marginal but gradual increase in expenses on high-value food. The changing nutrition dynamics elucidated by the changing dietary pattern with marked diversity would play an instrumental role in nutrition-led marketing in rural India.
