Helium and Ipsos: Consumer Research on OTC Medicine Access in India
Ran qualitative and quantitative research across low-income consumer segments in India, delivering insights on trust, communication, and medicine accessibility.
Krishnam Gupta
Autocad Draftsman at TECHNO CENTRE (INDIA) PVT LTD
Overview
Krishnam ran this project as his MBA dissertation, working through Ipsos for the client Helium. The mandate was to understand how low-income consumers in India, specifically those in the E1 socioeconomic category, accessed and made decisions about over-the-counter medicines. The goal was to identify a sustainable business model for reaching this segment.
The Story
Krishnam ran this project as his MBA dissertation, working through Ipsos for the client Helium. The mandate was to understand how low-income consumers in India, specifically those in the E1 socioeconomic category, accessed and made decisions about over-the-counter medicines. The goal was to identify a sustainable business model for reaching this segment.
He structured the research around three interview groups: E1 category consumers, local chemists, and medical professionals who regularly advised this segment. He developed the interview guide in collaboration with stakeholders from both Ipsos and Helium, and conducted the interviews himself.
The analysis surfaced four primary behavioral patterns. The first was trust through word of mouth: E1 consumers consistently consulted neighbors and peers before seeking formal medical advice. The second was visual anchoring: for consumers with low literacy, packaging color and visual cues carried significant weight, with green and blue associated with health and Ayurvedic products.
The third was the influence of credible public figures in health communication, and Krishnam recommended an ambassador-led approach for Helium's target segment. The fourth was the growing role of short-form digital content on platforms like WhatsApp and YouTube Shorts as a trusted health information source for this demographic.
The insights were well received by both Ipsos and Helium. Krishnam also identified a structural gap between doctors, marketers, and chemists in the OTC ecosystem, though the specifics are covered by NDA.