Catering to the Global Desi

I moved back to India 4 years ago intrigued at the prospect of being part of the most vibrant and complex consumer markets in the world. India is my home country, but never having worked here before, I was keen to explore and understand it firsthand. 

India is in the midst of a unique identity revolution. After years of consuming “imported products,” the youth here is rising to define their own needs and wants. They still want the western “appeal” but desire the Indian “look.” This concept is Indianization.

The story of India as a consumer-centric market started in the early 90’s when its doors were thrown open for the big names to come and compete for a share of the 1.1 billion strong consumer pie. From Kellogg to Mercedes to Levi-Strauss, most big name brands with enviable success stories in the west, found themselves unable to repeat that legion here.

As more and more companies stumbled, a new theme spear-headed by MTV India emerged. They introduced a new format where their 3-word mantra was “Indianize, Humanize, Humorize.” The amalgamation of national meanings, symbols and practices all converted into a humorous, graphical package delivered an instant connect with the Indian consumer. This was satellite television but other companies followed suit. The impact of this trend has been felt across industries. Titan, one of the most popular brands of watches in India took a cue and came up with the Fasttrack collection. It was a spin on quirky Indian behaviors. Ronald MacDonald could be seen saying “Namaste” outside every Macdonald outlet and Peter Parker reincarnated himself as Pavitr Prabhakar.

Products are finding different ways to connect with the Indianness. Colors have always resonated in the everyday life of Indians. Samsung used this approach to create their refrigerators in a line of colors that instantly saw it disappear off the shelves. Whirlpool did the same with air conditioners. Scooty, a popular 2-wheeler brand came out with a selection of 99 colors.

Indianization is perhaps having the biggest impact in the Fashion space. This concept has now blurred the lines between the traditionally distinct western wear and Indian wear. From high fashion to kitsch, the use of everyday Indianness is everywhere to be seen.

As the look and feel of products has undergone a radical change, Innovation, business and operational models too would need a closer look to present itself in a way it’s wanted by the average Indian. Whether it’s e-commerce, or traditional retail, whether it’s healthcare or telecom, it is imperative to Indianize for any chance of success.

P.S: As I write this, India is on the verge of opening FDI (foreign direct investment) in the retail sector. Here is an opportunity for the mother of all retail outlets, Walmart to take a stab at Indianization!