Iconic Brands Shaping India’s Journey: From Independence to Digital Age

With India celebrating its 78th Independence Day, it becomes an apt time to look back at the riveting journey of this nation. From the issues of post-independence to attaining food security, to the liberalisation, and lastly, onto the digital age, India has transformed through different phases.

Along with visionary leaders and resilient citizens, some brands played a stellar role in shaping the country’s destiny. These brands have contributed not only to the economic growth of the nation but also left deep marks on the development of the nation. Let’s explore some of those iconic brands and the profound impact they have had on India.

Establishing democracy

Indeed, the years following India’s independence in 1947 were really fraught with perils—the external threats to secessionist calls from within. The holding of the first-ever general elections between October 1951 and February 1952 became a litmus test for democracy within India. It was a huge exercise involving 1,874 candidates and 53 parties jostling for the votes of 17 crore citizens among its population of 36 crore.

Godrej played a significant role in making 12.83 lakh tamper-proof, waterproof, and vermin-proof ballot boxes amidst efforts taken by the Election Commission for smooth conduct of the process. At its Mumbai factory, the company turned out 15,000 boxes a day after fine-tuning its design from more than 70 prototypes featuring a patented internal locking mechanism guaranteeing security.

Founded in 1897, the brand started with locks but soon moved to typewriters and cupboards, even associating with ISRO on some of the key space missions. Today, 127 years later, it continues to be a household name as its locks, soaps, and many other products go on being a staple in most households across India.

In this, Shyam Motwani, Business Head, Locks & Architectural Fittings and Systems, Godrej & Boyce believes that it is the focus on innovation, the understanding of changing consumer needs, and staying true to your values as a brand that works for a new-age brand to attain longevity.

“It’s not only about the products, it’s about the trust and connect you have with the consumer over some period of time that essentially goes on to build your legacy, ” he says.

Operation Flood

The 1970 Operation Flood is among the world’s biggest programs of rural development. The ‘White Revolution’ turned India from a milk-deficient country into the largest milk producer in the world. The program allowed dairy farmers to take matters of progress into their own hands by putting resources directly in the hands of the people.

The movement was led by Dr Verghese Kurien, chairman and founder of Amul and it is the milk brand which fuelled the “White Revolution”.

RS Sodhi, president, Indian Dairy Association, says that the success of Amul not only changed the fortunes of the brand and its farmers but the destiny of the Indian dairy industry and rural India.

“The co-operative model offered farmers a source of dependable livelihood. It also helped the country achieve food security. From being a milk-deficient nation, India now produces one-fourth of the world’s milk, and this is expected to grow to 45% in another 25 years. It has provided an innovative model for a developing country to show the world how to create a profitable business,” he says.

Automobile revolution

After years of Fiats and Ambassadors, Indians were enthralled when the Maruti 800 made its debut in the country. It single-handedly altered India’s automobile industry. By giving motorists an inexpensive and reliable alternative to the costly and obsolete cars that came their way then, it changed the Indian scene in no uncertain terms. Never before was owning a car a symbol of personal mobility rather than a luxury. This small wonder became an instant sensation and went beyond the company’s expectations.

When Maruti opened bookings on April 9, 1983, it found instant appeal among Indian buyers. Almost 1.2 lakh janata readily deposited a Rs 10,000 advance in the run-up to its launch. Such was the response that those at the bottom of this list had to wait for as long as three years. In two months, the orders touched an unprecedented 1.35 lakh units.

Maruti Suzuki, with a market share of over 40%, has been leading this automobile revolution across the country. One’s first car, at an affordable price and performance-driven mindset, it still remains very many persons’.

Digital India

That’s the growth of Internet subscribers in India: from 25.9 crores in March 2016 to more than 80 crores in 2021. The key factor behind this spurt has been the launch of Reliance Jio’s affordable data plans. It had a launch offer of three months of free services followed by free calls and various data plans.

Jio’s low-cost services did a great job of boosting digital inclusion in the country, bringing all sorts of people together, enabling them to go online, and enriching their lives. With the availability of low-cost high-speed data, consumption surged for applications such as online education, e-commerce, and streaming.

Jio’s impact has been nothing but transformational in the country’s telecom industry. On the back of revolutionizing data and voice services, along with creating an end-to-end digital ecosystem, Jio has changed the way crores of Indians connect and get access to information. Fueled by the Jio digital revolution, it reshaped the telecommunications landscape and opened new pathways to drive economic growth and innovation.