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- DOI 10.18231/j.jmra.46029.1758703239
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CrossMark
The pink tax in India: Empirical evidence of gender-based pricing disparities in retail markets
- Author Details:
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Ashok Kumar Panigrahi *
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Lucky Ansari
Ashok Kumar Panigrahi *
This study investigates gender-based pricing disparities—commonly termed the “Pink Tax”—within Indian retail markets. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analysed 52 matched product pairs across personal care, apparel, children’s items, recreational goods, and healthcare products from major online and offline retailers, alongside survey responses from 500 urban consumers. Statistical tests revealed that female-oriented products were priced on average 19.4% higher than comparable male-oriented variants (p < 0.001), with personal care items showing the largest markup (24.2%). While consumer awareness of this phenomenon was limited (72% uninformed), disclosure strongly influenced attitudes, with 84% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction and 91% supporting transparency mandates. The findings highlight significant economic disadvantages for women, with estimated lifetime costs of ₹2.1–2.8 lakhs per consumer, and underscore the urgent need for policy interventions, regulatory oversight, and corporate accountability. By providing the first systematic empirical evidence on gendered pricing in India, this research fills a critical gap in consumer protection literature and contributes to ongoing debates on market fairness and equity.
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