Despite Indian society and families placing great pressure on women to have kids, a growing number are choosing to be childfree. And as many of them have successful careers, discerning tastes and high spending power, brands can no longer afford to ignore this powerful group.

The stigma around discussing sex lingers in rural India, which makes family planning difficult. With men still considered the heads of households, women are struggling to be included in this conversation, but SMS-based health service CycleTel wants to change that.

Financially-empowered mums have become the driving force behind India’s $12 billion baby care industry. Specialist retailers have now set up shop promising to better serve this segment with improved prices and convenience. But will this be enough to win the hearts and minds of these shoppers?

Why are Indian families shrinking? What’s to become of the tradition of the home-cooked family meal? And how are Dalits fighting against age-old inequalities? This Cultural Snapshot uses local statistics and case studies to explore behavioural norms shared by Indian people in 2016.