Industry overview
What is shaping defence
Defence organisations work with suppliers, veterans and the public on sensitive topics. Every engagement in this sector is handled under strict confidentiality and clearance requirements.
- Indigenous manufacturing is building a new supplier base
- Veteran welfare and resettlement need better evidence
- Public perception supports recruitment
Client background
A welfare association, working in Pan-India. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A welfare association
- Sector
- Defence
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Qualitative research, Quantitative research, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
Frequent relocations affect families’ education, employment and wellbeing. The association wanted to understand priorities for support.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: understanding the needs of families of serving personnel.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 8 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 40 interviews, 1,200 survey responses.
Audiences we typically reach in defence
Defence suppliers and MSMEsVeterans and familiesServing personnel (where permitted)Young people considering careersThe general public
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Pan-India. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Spouse interviews
- 3Online survey
- 4Insight
We interviewed spouses about relocation, children’s schooling, employment and support networks, and surveyed a wider group to prioritise needs.
Qualitative researchQuantitative researchReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- interviews
- 40
- survey responses
- 1,200
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Spousal employment and children’s school transitions were top concerns.
Family wellbeing depended heavily on continuity during moves.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: family wellbeing depended heavily on continuity during moves.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: spousal employment and children’s school transitions were top concerns.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The association launched remote-work skills programmes and school transition guidance.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how ready are local suppliers?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.