'Tech-JUGAAD' is injurious to India's Image

What do we conjure up when when we stuff ourselves at McDonald's or KFCs; gulp down litres of Coke or Pepsi or; go through the motion of reading an e-book on Kindle with a mug of Latte at Starbucks cafe? The American way of life! Why do we drool over the gleaming beauties in the stables of Mercedes Benz, Audi, BMW etc.? Admiration for and Awe at German engineering! Every wannabe socialite or fashionista wishes to be seen with luxury products from brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Nina Ricci, Gucci, Pollini, Alberta Ferretti etc. The answer is simple: when we own these brands, we imagine ourselves in the streets of Paris or Milan. We buy the cars being made in India by Hyundai, Suzuki, Honda, Toyota and others not because they are made in India, but because we believe that one cannot go wrong with Japanese or Korean technology. We trust the locally made FMCG products of Hindustan Unilever because we believe that its UK based parent company Unilever is backing the products' quality with its R&D.

The stories above illustrate vividly that besides the consistency in a product's workmanship, quality, packaging, marketing etc. a favourable image unique to the country of the brand's origin plays a clinching role in sustaining and enhancing the brand's value and marketability. We have no hesitation to buy garments of top brands in the full knowledge that these are stitched in the sweat-shops of Dhaka or Gurgaon, because we know that these brands are owned and their quality managed by companies in New York, Paris, London or Milan.

Are there any products or brands that originated in India, being produced by Indian companies and in great demand? Yes. But sadly, very few. Why? Because even when the Indian designed and manufactured product is of high quality, the negative image of India and its technology and craftsmanship, infamously considered unreliable and shoddy, forces the consumers to give the Indian product a miss if there are available choices of famous foreign brands with comparable prices. An example of a battle of images: Britannia's immensely popular Bourbon sandwich biscuits are unsurpassed for taste. Comes along Nabisco of USA with its horrendously tasting 'Oreo'. The image played a role and every one now wants to be seen nibbling at an Oreo. In the battle of images, the loser is Britannia Bourbon. As long as this negative image of India (best exemplified by the image above)persists in the minds of consumers, Indian brands will continue to lose to foreign brands.