Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to draw qualitative insights about Indian rural markets and marketing. First, the key aspirations of the rural customers are listed; then the paper explores an understanding about this potential market among marketing professionals; and finally, issues and concerns of customers in the Indian rural market are discussed. Design/methodology/approach: In order to achieve the objectives, qualitative methodologies were used. An interview approach was adopted to identify the aspirations of rural customers. To draw insights into the perspectives of marketing professionals, focus group discussions (FGDs) and open online responses along with content analysis were used. FGDs were conducted to obtain insights pertaining to issues and concern from rural customers. Findings: The paper enlists and ranks the key aspirations of Indian rural customers; a well-furnished concrete house tops the list followed by acquisition of land and property. The marketing professionals discuss their understanding of rural markets from the perspective of brand consciousness to the wave of changes they see. The rural customers speak about how children are new opinion leaders to the cultural threat they perceive. Research limitations/implications: The Indian rural market, where roughly 12 percent of the global population resides, provides umpteen business opportunities. An understanding of the rural market would help marketers and business organizations build appropriate market strategies to tap the market. Originality/value: The paper attempts to explore an understanding on the Indian rural market, which has not been researched extensively. The research frame work is holistic and involves the views and perspectives of key stakeholders. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.