It goes without saying that India is a massive and lucrative market for global brands. Equally, Indians are hungry to sample brands that are beloved all over the world. However, we Indians expect to sample these products and brands on our own terms. We demanded more spice, a desi tadka and brands obliged:
They were confident that Indians would take to the convenience of cornflakes, breakfast cereals and mueslis. Sure, we Indians took to that also, but we also made Kellogg’s create a quintessentially Indian product as well.
We didn’t care very much for the bland ‘13 herb secret recipe’ that KFC is supposed to have locked up in some safe place. We wanted spice and we got KFC hot and spicy, red hot and crispy, spicy grilled chicken and rice bowls – and we got that. We wanted veg options – and we got that too... at a chicken restaurant.
The inventor of the American hamburger would be unlikely to recognise what passes for a burger in India. Macdonald’s decided to do away with both beef and pork; understandable. They even decided to do away with mutton on their menu. And they added liberal dashes of potato and paneer and of course lots of spices!
When Domino’s came to India they retained the ‘30 minute or free’ brand promise, but they Indianised their menu to create plenty of veg options; with more than one paneer option. One is unlikely to find paneer on the pizza menu at too many other places on earth except India – at Pizza Hut, Domino's or any other pizza brand.
The French luxury brand Hermes may be more known for scarves but they had to go the saree way in order to have Indian audiences relate to them. However, with some of the sarees costing upward of Rs. 3 lakh, not too many Indians were impressed.
A few years ago, Jimmy Choo, the international luxury brand known for its shoes, bags and accessories launched in India. This happened to be just before Diwali and the brand understood very well, how much Indians love a bit of glitter and glitz. And so we had these very Indian looking motifs and lots of glitter and shine in there – because brands know that to survive in Indian, they have to adapt.
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