BRANDING INDIA

Forget the India we once knew. it is gone. Contemplate instead a new, funky, self confident, resurgent India embracing its role as a branded Asian superpower. Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi once said India is not just a piece of Earth, she is a power of god-head. Just a decade ago we were thought to be the country of snake charmers. The Europeans thought it to be a Colonist Paradise, we were undignified to be called as the land of the hungry and deprived. But we have certainly had a huge image makeover. The nationhood which India acquired in the 20th century fulfilling the dreams of Ashoka, Akbar and Gandhiji has now brought us to the threshold of great power status in the current years. From far off Silicon Valley to home base Bangalore, Indians are big in software development. There has been a mounting support for India to join the United Nations Security Council. We are amongst the first 15 economic powers in the world. India has the fourth largest army in the world, 36% of the total scientists in NASA are Indians. Put all this together and we find ourselves into one of the leading undestructive brands. We as a country have penetrated against the odds of poverty and illiteracy. I agree that 40% of my population is illiterate and cant read a letter from a book, but the same statistics also say that a majority of this illiterate population has some highly developed skill and thus the handicrafts made by my country mates are making the whole world market go nuts on them. There are people who call my country poor. Had it been so poor, would Maruti Suzuki invest 300 billion dollars along with 1000 engineers at a Rohtak plant, would Toyota spend 600 billion dollars at a Chennai plant and will Ford spend 650 million to double its capacity to manufacture cars to the poor people of my country??? I THINK NOT. People talk about my country being corrupt. Had we been so corrupt to the exaggerated extent that my media says, our system would have crumbled down long ago and a growth rate of around 8% would have been a utopian dream. And our infrastructure too is in an average state if not mediocre. Still we achieve a growth rate of 7% and above. Had we got the infrastructure like of United States or Japan, we would have had a growth rate of 15% and above and still discussing how could have been this low. Our strengths can thus be summarized with unbelievable 4635 communities and 325 languages which have not only happily survived but also continues to derive immense pride from the fact of this wonderful diversity enriching its culture. My country is young with majority of its Population between 15 and 40 years. Our education system, though we beg to differ is considered to be the best in the world. It is only in our country that we see a Muslim president stepping down for a Hindu woman to be sworn in by a Sikh prime minister.

Many economist of the world council believe that in 10-15 years from now, we will be as influential as United States, as rich as Europe and as sophisticated as Japan. But is this we really want. Playing catch up where others have already been. NO!!! India is forming a new league, a new brand where we will act as a friend, a philosopher, a guide to other nations. We wont be imposing decisions but taking suggestions. So let this brand prevail It will surely rail It will be fair to the people, fair to the government, fair to the development and fair to each one who read this.

By: Anuj Nagpal TYBBA