Everyone's screaming "premiumization." The reality? Consumption didn't move up. It split in half.

Jul-Dec 2024 → 2025: ₹3K-₹30K (middle): 58% → 30% 📉 Sub-₹3K (impulse): 35% → 59% 📈 ₹30K+ (premium): 7% → 11% 📈 The squeezed middle collapsed.

This is the barbell economy. Rich India buying iPhones. Bharat buying ₹500 earbuds. Nobody's buying the ₹15K range anymore.

But here's the killer stat nobody talks about: 67% of returns = Tier-2/3 COD orders We solved "Can we reach Bharat?" We haven't solved "Can Bharat afford to keep what they buy?"

Speed isn't the constraint anymore. Sustainability is. Budget 2026 needs to answer: → How do you serve customers who can't afford returns? → How do you build trust without burning cash? → What happens when your fastest-growing segment has broken unit economics?

The "safe middle" funded India's growth story for 20 years. It's dead. Full analysis: businessworld.in/article/gst-2-… What's your take? 👇 #Budget2026 #IndiaEconomy