In the face of a turbulent global economic environment and persistent urban demand fragilities, India’s rural economy has quietly emerged as a resilient pillar of growth. With personal consumption showing signs of revival and outpacing GDP expansion in the last fiscal year, the countryside may very well be India’s most underrated economic engine in 2025. Several indicators suggest this trend is more than a statistical blip. Inflation-adjusted rural wages are growing at their fastest pace in four years. Tractor and two-wheeler sales — long considered bellwethers of rural confidence — have posted consistent gains.

Even consumption of fast-moving consumer goods in rural regions has outpaced urban areas for five consecutive quarters. The quiet withdrawal of demand for work under the rural employment guarantee schemes adds further weight to the narrative: rural households are earning better, spending more, and relying less on public safety nets. This reversal comes after years of........

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