The book is an outcome of a National Seminar on "Globalisation, Markets and the Rural Consumers" organised by the Centre for Consumer Studies, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. The seminar was sponsored by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. The book contains twenty two chapters written by eminent experts working in the area of consumer protection and welfare and is divided into four sections, each focusing on a specific theme. They analyse the rural scenairo, the status of the rural consumers, the lack of safety mechanisms and the ways and means to empower them. Various strategies and policy interventions have been suggested by the authors to address the problems faced by the rural consumers.