Experts brainstorm on how to rebuild Brand India

If India was described as an idea whose time had come, the same as a brand has been so dented by a series of scams, corporate misdemeanors and public protests over the past few months that it was time for damage control led by India Inc.

And so, the 7th National Brand Summit with the theme “Re-Building Brand India: Role of Industry” organised by the All India Management Association (AIMA) saw brand managers and corporate executives sharing their views, interspersed with anecdotes, on how to rebuild brand India.

Santosh Desai, MD & CEO, Future Brands, said that India is not a market to be hawked; rather it’s a civilisation of which its citizens are guardians. “We are guardians, not drivers of brand India.”

He said that the mindset to seek endorsement from Western audiences of all things Indian is misplaced one. “Implicit focus is on addressing international audience, selling India to a bunch of (foreign) investors.”

He suggested a shift on the perception of positioning brand India. “It should be for Indians first, incorporating not just strengths but also struggles and should be benchmarked on its own standards rather than those imported from outside.”

R Mukundan, MD, Tata Chemicals, suggested that it’s time to move from growth for the sake of it, to achieving happiness, recalling what the founder of the Tata group, J R D Tata said, “I want India to be a happy country.”

Harish Bijoor, brand consultant, said that unlike in advertising, hype won’t help in rebuilding brand India. He suggested  that India Inc should take note of the fact that rural India is a happening place that offers huge opportunities for businesses.

Later, during the session on the role of sports, cinema and media, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle said sport introduces people to a country instantly and has traditionally been leveraged by many nations.

He ended his talk by saying brand IPL (Indian Premier League) has taken a beating in the past few years.