The India Story: Creative entrepreneurs take Indian designs to the world

For all its heritage and craftsmanship, the country has produced only a handful of global brands. But a new generation of creative entrepreneurs is changing that

Just before the turn of the century, in 1999, a young designer named Sabyasachi Mukherjee launched his eponymous label. Working out of his hometown, Kolkata, he set out to revive Indian textiles, weaves and techniques – all with a staff strength of three. It wouldn’t be long before he would debut at Milan Fashion Week, the first Indian designer to do so.

 

Twenty-five years on, Sabyasachi is one of the most recognisable brands from India, having displayed his jewellery at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan, and collaborated with names such as Estee Lauder, Christian Louboutin and Pottery Barn, and with presence in Dubai and New York. Among the celebrities who have donned his creations are Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna.

 

He is, however, not the only global brand to have come out of India. The country, known for its “atithi devo bhava (guest is god)” tradition, has given the world some of its strongest hospitality brands in Taj and The Oberoi.

 

Taj’s foray beyond Indian shores, though, happened much earlier, in 1980, when it opened the Taj Sheba Hotel in Sana’a, Yemen. Then it went on to acquire a stake in the St James’ Court Hotel, since rebranded as St James’ Court London, A Taj Hotel. And in 2024 — its 120th year — Taj was adjudged the world’s strongest hotel brand by Brand Finance, a London-based valuation and strategy consultancy. It held this title in 2021 and 2022 as well.

 

India’s global brand story, though, is just about starting. 

 

The country is still a while away from having its own Louis Vuitton (LV), Hermès, or Chanel – though earlier this year, during a panel discussion at the inaugural edition of Business Standard’s ‘Manthan’ summit in New Delhi, Alexis de Ducla, founder of Alexis de Ducla International LLP, a distributor for French luxury brands, had said, “The next Chanel will be from India.” Chanel, incidentally, has a British-Indian woman steering it – Leena Nair.

 

There is a reason for this confidence. “In 2000, we were not even aspiring for a place on the global stage,” says Sandeep Goyal, chairman, Rediffusion. While reforms had brought many global brands to India, Indian brands going abroad was still outside the realm of the possible, he says. “But the 2000s saw Airtel, a truly Indian brand, establish a huge presence in Africa. Zee TV was already beaming by then to 100-plus countries.”

 

His list of other globally visible Indian brands includes automakers like Bajaj, which has presence in most markets of Asia, Africa and South America; Maruti, which has been selling in Europe and other markets for years; and trucks and buses by Tata. “TCS is getting visible, too.”

 

It is only in the last 20-odd years that Indian brands have truly started going global.

 

Tikka Shatrujit Singh, the man who brought LV to India, says a good reason why the country held back is that “we are both very giving and accepting, and we do not believe in pushing our products down anyone’s throats”. India, he says, does not have a transactional approach. It has warmth and hospitality in its DNA. “Which is why we have beaten the West in the hospitality game,” says Singh. 

 

A universal language

 

In a lot of ways, strong Indian brands have been inward looking, which has worked for them in many ways considering how big the country’s domestic market is. However, going global requires a tweak in that approach, without abandoning Indian strengths and values.

 

"Brands become global if they can travel across national frontiers,” says Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), which operates the Taj group of hotels. “Our founder, Jamsetji Tata, gave us a hotel when Indians were not even allowed to enter one.” Taj, he adds, made a lot of firsts possible, such as India’s first electronic elevator and its first bar licence, and “it is maintaining that legacy”.

 

Legacy is a word that comes up often when speaking about Indian brands. It is something that both lifts them and, perhaps, weighs them down.

 

"One key challenge is the relatively younger history of many Indian luxury brands, which are still building the kind of heritage and legacy that resonates internationally,” says Pushpa Bector, senior executive director and business head, DLF Retail. 

 

“Another limitation is the restricted presence of Indian brands in international luxury hubs and high-end retail spaces, which can impact visibility and access to key markets,” Bector adds. Additionally, while Indian brands are celebrated for their rich cultural heritage and exceptional craftsmanship, there can be a perception gap in positioning them as luxury at par with global standards, she says. 

 

Getting there

 

Building a global brand isn’t easy. It requires tremendous investments, tenacity, purpose and sustained efforts, says Goyal. “Indian companies have neither been that confident, nor as adventurous,” he adds. “The Japanese did this in the 1970-80s. The Koreans towards the end of the 1990s. The Chinese took that road 20 years ago. India will take another 10-15 years before global brands become a reality.”

 

Views differ on whether policy interventions can help create world-renowned brands.

 

Bector is of the view that policymakers can play a vital role by creating a supportive ecosystem with favourable policies, tax incentives, and stronger protection for intellectual property. Singh, however, says luxury is difficult to crack; policy has little or no role.

 

Speaking to Business Standard some years ago,  designer Ritu Beri said that luxury doesn’t really get policy support because it is seen as “anti-vote”. 

 

“But it’s not – it’s handwork, it’s your karigars (craftsmen) you are supporting,” she said.

 

There is a sense, though, that it is only a matter of time before Indian brands make a splash in the global pool.

 

Singh has a long list of why this is going to happen. Personalised relationship tops that list. “When you buy from an Indian designer or a jeweller such as the Mumbai-based Viren Bhagat, you know who the person behind the product is, and he or she engages with you directly,” he explains. Indian luxury is not faceless, he adds.

 

The first generation of brand creators has laid the foundation, says Singh. The second will build on it, investing in infrastructure, advertising, warehousing and so on. “Already they are competing with the West at the highest level, taking no shortcuts.”

 

Bector agrees. The brands, she says, need to “invest in global marketing and expand their reach through international retail networks and e-commerce platforms.”

 

All of this requires money, which is beginning to flow in with conglomerates like the Reliance and Aditya Birla groups entering the scene to buy stakes.

 

Goyal is of the view that, currently, India’s best bet is with tech brands. “TCS, HCL, Infosys have size and ambition. They already have a global presence. They just need to up their marketing game,” he says.

 

The visibility factor

 

One way Indian brands can elevate their image is through luxury malls such as DLF Emporio and The Chanakya in New Delhi, and the Jio World Plaza in Mumbai.

 

Bector says that such malls provide a world-class platform where Indian brands can be showcased alongside renowned international names, enhancing their visibility and credibility. “They are more than shopping destinations — they are catalysts for Indian brands aiming to achieve global recognition and success,” she asserts. The presence of international tourists and influencers at these malls helps position Indian brands in front of global audiences.

 

Beyond luxury, this was a year when dairy major Amul also decided to venture out, expanding into the US before it enters the European market through Spain. 

 

Meanwhile, Indian single malt Indri has been bagging one international award after another, including the Best Whiskey at the Whiskies of the World Awards in 2023, and the Whiskey of the Year award at the USA Spirit Rating Awards 2024.

 

A market to the world, India is beginning to purposefully look at the world market. The next 25 years could be game changing.