Indian brands that made the world sit up and take notice

Parle-G

Amul milk has given you chai. But what is tea without Parle-G? The perfect accompaniment to chai in the middle of a busy work day, Parle-G was founded on swadeshi ideals in 1929 by Mohanlal Chauhan. It was an answer to expensive British biscuits — perhaps with a touch of French. As the ’80s approached, competitors started to launch their own glucose biscuits. Parle-Gluco could see its market share thinning as people started getting confused by similar brand names. Many also just wanted glucose biscuits — brand no bar. So, in 1982 the brand reinvented itself as Parle-G. A powerhouse of energy, a huge section of society started depending on Parle-G, not just for fulfilling nutritional needs but also for its budget-friendly prices — the prices remain so. Along with milk, Parle-G came to be considered staple baby food. The signature white-and-yellow striped biscuit packet, with the chubby Parle baby girl, is probably the most recognisable brand in the country, and according to Nielsen, continues to be the world’s best-selling biscuit.

Maruti800

Another product that is inseparable from the India story is the Maruti 800. The joint venture between Maruti Udyog and Japan’s Suzuki Motors started with this small, box-like hatchback that was affordable and offered great mileage. It launched in 1983 at a price tag of 47,500 rupees. Tailor made for tribulations on the average Indian road and the aspirations of the average Indian family, the small car proved a revolution in the Indian auto sector, eventually replacing the legendary Ambassador and much-loved Fiat Padmini as the car of the first choice. Even as the economy opened up in 1991, the 800 remained a favourite, and Maruti Suzuki continued its hold over the auto market with the largest share, with its successive offerings.

Air India

If Maruti Suzuki is the king of Indian roads, Air India is the Maharajah of the Skies. The carrier is known for its royalty when it was born out of the J R D Tata-led group in 1932. But the brand struck a chord with the average Indian reader too. Back in the days, it had an aura about it and was one of the few organisations that put India on the global map. The carrier hit the skies roaring and found success for many decades thereafter. But then, turbulence hit. Air India was nationalised and it had seen fair share of losses. Amid all of this, Air India shouldered some of the biggest Indian evacuations during the Gulf war and most recently in a pandemic. Now back with the Tatas, the maharajah hopes to revive its glory days.

Bollywood

Moving on from Maharajah to the brand of brands which gave us the “Badshah” of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan. How does one even begin to describe a brand like Bollywood: India’s biggest entertainer; society's mirror; the most influential influencer; a world of storytellers and dream merchants; one of the country’s most popular exports....Where does one start from? From Dadasaheb Phalke or Dadasaheb Torne? From Satyajit Ray or Bimal Roy? Or Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Bhattacharya or Shyam Benegal? Which stars does one focus on? The gorgeous Madhubala? The institutions called Prithviraj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar? Or Amitabh Bachchan? Which cinema does one write about? Commercial, parallel, art? Or which genre: action, romance, horror, thriller? Bollywood isn't one brand. It is a brand of brands — big, small, endearing, larger than life. And it’s touched us all.

IPL

There is also no denying that sports and Bollywood are intertwined. Indian Premier League or IPL has changed cricket forever and the home-grown brand continues to grow in the cricketing world. The recent $6 billion record-breaking broadcast deal was a testament to that fact, and it might just effect a seismic shift on how the game is played and viewed. Mirroring the IPL model, all cricket-playing nations have a domestic league of their own or they're planning one. With players increasingly prioritising domestic leagues over international games, if indeed cricket goes the football way, one can safely say that, "It all started with IPL in 2008"