Careers in Rural Management in India

In recent years, rural management jobs have become extremely popular in India, owing to the entry of several firms in the rural sector of the nation. Being a predominantly agriculture-driven country, the rural areas of the country have immense growth potential. As per the Census 2021, the rural population of India stood at 90,93,84,771, which was a 0.08% surge from 2020. The availability of human resources and unexplored resources in the hinterlands is attracting MNCs, Indian firms, and NGOs toward rural areas. The mounting presence of these stakeholders is expected to increase career opportunities and improve livelihoods in rural areas of the country. 

Let us know more about various careers in rural management, top recruiters, and the average annual salary of different job profiles. Keep reading!!

What is Rural Management?

Rural Management refers to effectively managing rural resources. It encompasses the planning and execution of development programmes that aim to improve the quality of rural life. Individuals engaged in the study of this aspect of rural development are equipped with knowledge and skills that help them create plans and strategies that improve the rural landscape. The study of this discipline of rural development enables budding professionals to identify the problems of the rural hinterlands and draft plans to utilise rural resources to solve the problems. In contemporary times, this domain in India has multiple career options to offer, owing to the surging focus of the central and state governments, multinational corporations (MNCs), and Indian companies on expanding the rural economy of the country.

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Rural Management Jobs in India

People with a diploma, an undergraduate degree, a postgraduate degree, or a doctoral degree in rural development and management are employed in the below-mentioned rural management jobs in India, depending on their educational qualification and experience:

Rural Development Officer

This professional supervises the planning and development of a rural area for which he/she/they are responsible. A rural development officer has the responsibility of solving rural problems. This officer acts as a regulatory body that uses information and available resources to improvise the living conditions of rural people. To gain employment as a rural development officer in India, one needs to have a bachelor’s degree and need to clear competitive examinations like the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). 

Research Officer

This is one of the most sought-after rural management jobs in India. Individuals in this role are primarily engaged in the identification of growth opportunities for enterprises and the government. Additionally, she/they/he has to assist different departments of the government or the business entity. A research officer reviews and analyses the raw data and communicates the results of data analysis to the concerned departments. 

Business Development Manager

Individuals deployed as business development managers identify business opportunities in the hinterlands and build a network with local businessmen to align with the objectives of the concerned enterprises. They are essentially responsible for bringing business to the companies working toward the development of rural areas. 

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National Sales Development Officer

Also known as national sales development managers, national sales development officers are vested with the responsibility of designing promotional campaigns for business and marketing. They have to communicate their plans to the people in government and heads of the states. Additionally, they need to present a functional blueprint for a futuristic sales platform. Anyone with a Master’s or an MBA in Rural Management can apply for this job role. 

Area Executive

An area executive in a rural area is the representative of the firms engaged in businesses in the rural areas of India. They look after the availability of resources and identify potential stakeholders in the area. They also use different strategies to oversee business operations and deploy managerial skills to manage operations in the concerned rural area.

Other Job Profiles

In addition to the aforementioned jobs, the rural management sector in India also offers the following career opportunities in this domain:

• Senior Programme Officer
• Marketing Manager
• Sales Manager
• Rural Managers
• Purchase Development Manager
• Vendor Development Manager

Top Recruiters Rural Management Jobs

With the penetration of technology, communication modes, and the internet in rural India, there has been a considerable surge in rural management jobs in the interiors of the nation. Additionally, the mounting interest of government organisations, NGOs, and businesses in unexplored areas is attracting several national and international players in the domain of rural development and management. Given below are some of the top recruiters for people with diplomas, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees in this domain:

• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
• Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education
• Agro Tech Foods Limited (ATFL)
• BASIX India
• JEEViKA or Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project (BRLP) by Bihar Government
• Cargill
• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation
• Caspian
• Fullerton
• Motherdairy
• Speedworks
• Vivriti Capital
• IndusInd Bank Ltd.
• Adani Wilmar
• Godrej Agrovert Ltd.
• Vedanta CSR
• ADM Agro Industries
• BigBasket
• ITC Ltd. Agri-Business Division
• Emami Agrotech

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Salary

The monetary benefits are quite decent in the rural management domain. The table mentioned below displays the estimated annual salary of different job profiles in this domain.

S.No	Job Profiles	Estimated Annual Salary
1	Rural Development Officer	INR 3 lakh to INR 4 lakh
2	Research Officer	INR 7 lakh to INR 8 lakh
3	Business Development Manager	INR 3 lakh to INR 6 lakh
4	National Sales Development Officer	INR 7 lakh to INR 23 lakh
5	Area Executive	INR 4 lakh to INR 5 lakh
6	Senior Programme Officer	INR 4.5 lakh to INR 6 lakh
7	Marketing Manager	INR 4 lakh to INR 5 lakh
8	Sales Manager	INR 4 lakh to INR 5 lakh
9	Rural Manager	INR 1 lakh to INR 3 lakh

FAQs

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