Economic power is key to a country’s development. This was realised early on by the colonial master of India who drained the country of its wealth slowly, but surely.
The Need for Swadeshi Movement
The British rulers for their own betterment did a little development work in the country such as the development of rails, canals and so on, luring the Indians into a false sense of security. However, they were breaking the country up by dividing the people on the basis of their caste, class and religion while receiving the economic benefit from the country. The poor economic scenario in the country indicated by poverty, famines, starvation and so on, helped the freedom fighters to understand the importance of economic power.
Swadeshi Movement
The Swadeshi movement started in the backdrop of Partition of Bengal, which was one of the measures of the British government in its policy of ‘divide and rule’. The intent behind the movement was to display a united front of the countrymen against the foreign government. The swadeshi movement entailed people leaving their jobs, educational institutions and any association they had with the British government. The movement was extended further by people boycotting foreign goods, cloths and servicing or maintaining any foreign origin products.
The idea of swadeshi was further promoted by Gandhi ji in his various movements where he adopted Khadi and insisted on wearing it. In his economic model, he rigorously promoted the usage of Khadi and only India-made products for the people of India. He believed that is the only way Indians will be able to grow and develop.
Make in India
Following the legacy of the father of our nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ movement on 25 September 2014. The goal was to encourage the corporate houses to set up production in India and for the citizens to use the products that are made in India. The movement aimed at making India a global manufacturing hub and generate employment for the Indian population. The PM intended to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, protect intellectual property & build best in class manufacturing infrastructure through this movement.
Considering the fact that the agriculture sector of India employs the most number of people without generating equivalent outcome, the rise of the manufacturing sector would surely reduce the disguised unemployment and relieve the agriculture sector of its burden. The timing of the campaign was apt considering the US-China Trade War and more companies considering moving out of China.
Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
The global economy suffered a huge blow in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. The countries of the world are in perpetual lockdown with businesses either not running at all or suffering major losses. Many industries such as travel, aviation and entertainment among others are on a total downfall. During such a time, the countries of the world are adopting an inward-looking policy in terms of trade to ensure the sustenance of their own citizens. India is no different in this context.
India has been in lockdown for more than two months now. The country has suffered huge economic losses in the first quarter of the year. Among the severely impacted during such economic fall is the MSME sector, Daily wagers, Performance artists and many more. In order to revive the economy, the government of India launched Atma Nirvhar Bharat Abhiyan as a stimulus package to revive the Indian economy.
The government through this Abhiyan is looking to make India self-reliant in every sector. According to the government, the five pillars of self-reliant India include – Economy that makes quantum jumps rather than incremental changes, Infrastructure that represents a modern Indian state, Technology-driven systems, Vibrant demography and Demand to ensure full utilisation of capacity. The following stimulus package includes liquidity availability, reforms in policies and transformation in the markets.
The government even went as far as curbing imports of commodities such as refined palm oil from the friendly neighbours to ensure that India becomes self-reliant first before indulging its neighbours with imports and exports.
A self-reliant India is highly beneficial for the citizens. Especially, to counter Chinese dominance in the markets which has ended up giving more misery to the country and the citizens than gains. In order to make this a success, the citizens who consume these foreign products need to show a united front in solidarity with the government.
In the interest of promoting swadeshi products, it is important to identify and distinguish between Indian-made products from foreign products. Many brands use local icons, languages and culture for advertising to attract more audience. This has caused a misunderstanding among people who misconstrue international brands to Indian. These are 10 brands that are mistaken for having Indian origins.
1. Iodex
“Iodex maliye kaam pe chaliye!”
The tagline had caught on so much that the balm is included in the home remedies suggested by Indian grandmothers. This has led many to believe that it is an Indian brand. However, the product is owned by GSK Consumer, a UK based FMCG company.
2. Eno
“Eno kaam kare sirf 6 second me”
The catchy tagline has caught on to the majority of the country. Eno soda is the first thing that is used by many Indian households to deal with acidity and stomach issues. The brand has been in the country for a very long time and has embraced the culture by coming up with different flavours to appease the Indian taste palette. The product, however, is owned by GlaxoSmithKline which is a UK based company.
3. Star TV
Star TV has launched many top Indian TV serials which have dominated the prime time slots in India for the last decade. The Saas- Bahu sagas of Indian families have drawn viewers by the millions which is one of the reasons for giving it a feel of Indianness. Star TV is owned by 21st Century Fox which is US-based conglomerate. The channel was originally supposed to air popular American shows in India but they ended up launching local shows which became highly successful.
4. Reynolds
The ’80s and 90’s kids wrote all their exams using 045 Reynolds ball pen. It was a classic pen loved by children and adults alike. The campaign by Sachin Tendulkar gave it unparalleled visibility and it was the best selling pen a few decades ago. The brand has faded but people still think it is an Indian brand whereas the routes of the brand are completely American where it was started in 1945 that explains the ‘045’ pen.
5. Bata Footwear
Bata is eponymous for classic durable Indian footwear. For most Indian children, their first school shoes are Bata shoes. Somehow the name also sounds Indian. It was in fact founded by Tomas Bata in 1894 and has its headquarters in Switzerland. It has a retail presence in more than 70 countries. The company is a true example of ‘Think Global, Act Local’.
6. Lifebuoy
‘Lifebuoy hai jahan tandurusti hai wahan’ is one of the most famous jingles in the Indian Advertising Arena. Lifebuoy was the highest-selling soap in India by a distance for a very long time and their marketing campaigns established them as an Indian brand. The brand was actually launched by Procter & Gamble and landed on Indian shores in 1895. Generations of Indians have been using this soap without knowing about its American origins.
7. Colgate
The classic white Colgate toothpaste is present in every Indian household. For the older citizens of the country, Colgate is often synonymous to toothpaste. It has a monopoly in the Indian toothpaste market. The white toothpaste vis-a-vis the fancy variants by other companies made people think that this is a heritage Indian brand. Colgate was launched in the US in 1873 and has been in India for more than 100 years.
8. Maggi
Maggi has been more than just a food form in India. It has been a go-to meal for all students or office goers who live away from families, can’t cook and can’t afford to eat out every day. The two minutes noodles bowl has held the country under its spell for years. The monopoly of this fast food is so strong, that several other products have been launched in the Indian market to compete with this, but none of them has been so successful. There was a ban placed on this product by the government as the lead amounts were found higher than permitted standards. However, the brand image didn’t suffer as much as it should have and got its first position back soon after the product was launched. The product was designed for India but is owned by Nestle which is a Switzerland based company.
9. Tatra trucks
Tatra trucks are widely used in the Indian military establishment. Their use in the military combined with the similarity with India’s most trusted brand and largest selling truck company, Tata, created a perception that it is an Indian brand. Tatra is a Czech vehicle manufacturer. The company was founded in 1850 as Schustala & Company.
10. Vicks VapoRub
Do you have a cough and cold? Rub Vicks and you will be good to go. This brand has been helping Indians with their runny noses since 1964. The brand is so dominant that all VapoRubs or balms are called Vicks. Vicks rules the Indian market. It was invented in the United States in 1890 and the brand was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1985.
