Recently, one of my friends in India asked for my views on Non-corporate Indian brands that have had global impact.
His question was -
What is your take on these global brand concepts from India. How does world see it? Do they have momentum of their own which could turn them into a big global phenomenon?
# 2 in the Series
As far as other brands go - "Indian Eateries", are probably the 2nd most pervasive "Brand Category" (Don't know whether it is proper to label a "Category" as a "Brand Category") to have an impact at least in the US. I'm quite sure the rest of world follows the US lead just due to the innovation and economic aspect of it. (This is not American arrogance, just a fact!)
Indian food is no longer "Exotic", "Esoteric", or plain "Weird". It does not give the "Delhi Belly" (diarrhea), the "Bombay Burp" (heartburn) or any other similar symptoms. It is not served - just in very "Swank" downtown restaurants, or "Dirty & Dinghy Hole in the Wall places" in ethnic Indian neighborhoods, it has and is going mainstream.
This is a mass upheaval from the cultural aspect - Indian food, no longer smells and tastes strange to most people. Funny these days - Indians, per say no longer have the - "Funky curry odor", they have a "Unique aroma" emanating from them.
Indian Eateries are now dotted in almost every metro area in the US. From my personal experience my friends will ask me to bring - 'samosas', 'barfies', 'kababs', 'nans', and the perennial favorite 'TANDOORI CHICKEN'. My friends and colleagues regularly ask me for Indian recipes, how I cook, where they can get supplies and 'masala curry' to try their hand at Indian cooking. With growing emphasis on eating healthy the vegetarian lifestyle, which used to be bland, uninspiring, and unpalatable is now something to look forward to by using different Indian cooking techniques and spices to give flavor to food.
Pre-cooked Indian food is gaining mass traction and respectability by being available in local as well as ethnic supermarkets alongside offerings from the Hispanic, Jamaican, Oriental palate. You have pre-cooked "Daal Makhani", "Palak Paneer", "Bhindi Masala" "Gobhi Aaloo", "Paranthas", etc from brands like - SWAD, DEEP FOODs, MTR, etc, secondly, you know you have arrived when Wal*mart starts carrying Indian food products on it's shelves. When you say "Basmati" in a store they know you are talking about high quality rice, lentils are not just for making soup, and "kulfi" is better than any ice cream for desert.
Almost 30years ago when we lived in Arlington, VA, less than 10miles from Washington DC, my parents would take us on these everlasting 35-40mile long drives to buy rice, 'daal', 'ataa', 'dry masala', loose Indian tea, Dettol, etc. from the Indian grocery store. Now you don't have to drive more than 5 miles in most metro areas to get any of the stuff, if your local grocery store doesn't have it.
As inconspicuous as this phenomenon is there is no stopping this cultural -"Juggernaut".
His question was -
What is your take on these global brand concepts from India. How does world see it? Do they have momentum of their own which could turn them into a big global phenomenon?
# 2 in the Series
As far as other brands go - "Indian Eateries", are probably the 2nd most pervasive "Brand Category" (Don't know whether it is proper to label a "Category" as a "Brand Category") to have an impact at least in the US. I'm quite sure the rest of world follows the US lead just due to the innovation and economic aspect of it. (This is not American arrogance, just a fact!)
Indian food is no longer "Exotic", "Esoteric", or plain "Weird". It does not give the "Delhi Belly" (diarrhea), the "Bombay Burp" (heartburn) or any other similar symptoms. It is not served - just in very "Swank" downtown restaurants, or "Dirty & Dinghy Hole in the Wall places" in ethnic Indian neighborhoods, it has and is going mainstream.
This is a mass upheaval from the cultural aspect - Indian food, no longer smells and tastes strange to most people. Funny these days - Indians, per say no longer have the - "Funky curry odor", they have a "Unique aroma" emanating from them.
Indian Eateries are now dotted in almost every metro area in the US. From my personal experience my friends will ask me to bring - 'samosas', 'barfies', 'kababs', 'nans', and the perennial favorite 'TANDOORI CHICKEN'. My friends and colleagues regularly ask me for Indian recipes, how I cook, where they can get supplies and 'masala curry' to try their hand at Indian cooking. With growing emphasis on eating healthy the vegetarian lifestyle, which used to be bland, uninspiring, and unpalatable is now something to look forward to by using different Indian cooking techniques and spices to give flavor to food.
Pre-cooked Indian food is gaining mass traction and respectability by being available in local as well as ethnic supermarkets alongside offerings from the Hispanic, Jamaican, Oriental palate. You have pre-cooked "Daal Makhani", "Palak Paneer", "Bhindi Masala" "Gobhi Aaloo", "Paranthas", etc from brands like - SWAD, DEEP FOODs, MTR, etc, secondly, you know you have arrived when Wal*mart starts carrying Indian food products on it's shelves. When you say "Basmati" in a store they know you are talking about high quality rice, lentils are not just for making soup, and "kulfi" is better than any ice cream for desert.
Almost 30years ago when we lived in Arlington, VA, less than 10miles from Washington DC, my parents would take us on these everlasting 35-40mile long drives to buy rice, 'daal', 'ataa', 'dry masala', loose Indian tea, Dettol, etc. from the Indian grocery store. Now you don't have to drive more than 5 miles in most metro areas to get any of the stuff, if your local grocery store doesn't have it.
As inconspicuous as this phenomenon is there is no stopping this cultural -"Juggernaut".
