Branding of India, Indians, andIndianness in America

Kanwal S. RekhiRoy Prasad

May 10, 2008

Overview

• What India means to Americans• Evolution of the Indian Brand• India today• India’s brand ultimately is its value system• Why Should America care• Q & A

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The Challenge #1

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How do you “brand”an 8,000 year old

civilization?

The Challenge #2

• What images does “India” evoke in the mind of Americans?– An endless number of perceptions in America

about India and Indians– A land of stark contrasts

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Snake charmers…

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Elephants and festivals

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Mystics and Yogis

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Champions of peace and compassion

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The Taj Mahal

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Overcrowded cities

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Curried food

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Ubiquitous beggars

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Multitude of gods and goddesses

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Bollywood…

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Maestro with his Sitar

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New age gurus…

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Modern day high tech powerhouses…

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Along with the world’s largest slums

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Outsourced call centers, BPOs & KPOs

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Hi, I’m Dan.How ya doin’?

In the Eye of the (American) Beholder

• The average American’s awareness of India has developed over many decades

• What India means depends on age and demographics

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• Harsher images:– Snake charmers– Hungry beggars– Filthy slums– Sanctimonious

• Softer images:– Gentle and peaceful– Democratic– Smart, hard-working– Spiritual, mystic

Circa 1900: Sikh immigration

• Hundreds of Sikh migrant farm workers/laborers in California

• Called “dirty Hindoos” and discriminated against

• No citizenship allowed till 1949• Dalip Singh Saund elected to

US Congress from California in 1956

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Mayo Writes Mother India while Raman wins Nobel Prize

• Reinforced the Orientalist view of India as an impoverished country that could not govern itself– Gandhi called it a “drain-

inspector’s report” of a house

• This is while C.V. Raman wins a Nobel prize in Physics

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Early 1950’s: Mildly Positive Image

• At start of fifties, India has a soft positive image:– Peaceful freedom movement– Constitutional democratic process– Personalities of Nehru, Gandhi– Non-aligned, high moral ground

• Towards the end, it is getting a harsher glare:– Seen as pro-Soviet, silent on Hungary take-over– Domestic problems seem intractable– After Nehru, who?

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Launch of Sputnik and Indian Immigration

• Launch of Sputnik in 1958 Leads to changes in Immigration laws in US

• New Law favors science and engineering graduates• Doors to immigration from India open up• Starting in 1965, young middle class Indians come in

large numbers as graduate students• Most of these stay and pursue careers and put roots

down

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1956-1980’s: Sharp brand erosion

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1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985

Positive

Negative

India’s image

Indians in USA

USSR in HungaryIndia silent

Vietnam stance;PL-480 Wheat

First NuclearExplosions

IndiraGandhi’sEmergency

USSR in AfghanistanIndia silent

Coke/IBM ejected

Hard-working, good techies, successful

Stark contrasts

India:• A functioning Anarchy –

Galbraith• “Basket case” – Nixon• Dynasty / sham democracy• Unable to feed itself• Ungovernable• Pretentious nuclear power• Clown politicians (Morarji)• Stuck in the mud

Indians in America:• Smart, positive, hardworking

• Building reputation as “good techies”

• Broad success in professions, businesses, academia

• Emerging as entrepreneurs and CEOs

• Model immigrants

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1990’s: A dramatic reversal

• Fall of Soviet Union changes political dynamics• Economic liberalization and rapid economic growth• Emergence of a world class IT industry• Outsourcing: Call centers to BPO to KPO

• Recognition of past investments in higher education paying handsome dividends

• Indian Diaspora succeeding everywhere, most notably in the US

• India acknowledged as emerging giant, a la China

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Metamorphosis of India

• Dynastic myth broken with the political ascent of the BJP

• Strong decentralization of power• Focused on economy

– One of fastest growing economy

– GDP breaks the trillion-dollar mark

– Rapid integration with the global economy

– Emergence of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurgaon

• Emergence of world class corporations– Tata, Bharat Forge, Mahindra, Reliance, Wipro,

Infosys, Suzlon, Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy’s Lab, Bharati

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Source: International Monetary Fund, 2007

Embracing globalization

• 800+ foreign company subsidiaries in India

• Massive inflows offoreign investments

• Indian companiescompeting globally

As of November, 2007Source: www.bharathbooks.com

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Past 20 years: Sharp brand upswing

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1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Positive

Negative

Economicliberalization

Economicexplosion

Infosys IPONuclear test

Tata acquires JaguarINFY sales to reach $5B

Clintonvisit

Nucleardeal India’s image

Indo-Americans’ image

Series of entrepreneurialand executive successes

Current image of India

• Dynamic, youthful, pluralistic, liberal democracy focused on economic growth

• Forward looking, peaceful, technology savvy, trying to tackle poverty & provide social justice

• For the first time US acknowledging great strides being made and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel

• All the struggles and faults are now seen in this context, and not as the defining features

• Natural ally of US with a population of a billion people

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Why should America care?

• India is practicing the core American values:– Pluralistic democracy– Rule of the law and civil liberties– Separation of state and church– Free market economy– Jeffersonian life, liberty and pursuit of

happiness

• In Sharp contrast to China which is propounding an alternate set of values

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Likely future US policy towards India

• The US will have to wish India well:– Not out of sympathy– Indian success validates American values as an effective

way to build prosperous and just society– A bulwark against authoritarian alternative

• What better role model for the Middle East and Africa?A country as poor, as illiterate, as diverse as India was in 1947 transformed itself in one life time!

• Stable, prosperous and strong India underpins a troubled region with a good set of values

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Q & A

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