Provokeglobal:“Every Brand Needs An India Strategy”

(MENAFN- PRovoke) WASHINGTON, DC -“India is an idea that all of you would benefit from if you got on board,” said Reliance Industries group head of communications Rohit Bansal at the PRovoke Global Summit last week, highlighting the potential of India for global businesses.

Alongside PRAXIS founder Amith Prabhu, Bansal shared insights on how India's growth influences communication strategies worldwide. Bansal – whose firm owns telecommunications giant JIO – highlighted the significance of India's digital transformation and the challenges brands encounter in navigating the country's cultural and linguistic landscape.

Bansal opened the panel with a question for the audience:“Do you have an India strategy?” Despite India's status as the most densely populated country in the world, only four hands out in a packed session went up. He said India's communications ecosystem was not just growing, it was becoming foundational to global strategy for leading companies: Bansal puts it,“If you aren't on the ship, find a helicopter and change course.”

Prabhu explained how consumer behavior in India is different, especially when it comes to politics. Unlike in the US, where brands often openly support political candidates,“brands in India are very quiet on politics in the public sphere,” he said. Companies may fund political parties privately, but public endorsements are rare.

India's cultural diversity plays a role in this approach. Prabhu described his home country as a“mini-continent” because of the differences between its 29 states, each with their own official language. This creates a challenge from a communications perspective: brands must tailor messages to resonate with local audiences in multiple languages while maintaining a unified national identity.

“Brands communicate with people in English as a common language across the country, but they also use regional languages, like those spoken in specific states such as Tamil Nadu,” Prabhu explained.“Even global brands, including American ones, adapt by using these local languages.”

One way brands bridge the language gap is by prioritizing corporate social responsibility initiatives, as India's laws mandate a portion of profits go toward social causes.“CSR is huge in India,” Prabhu said.

Bansal added:“The societal expectation to support social causes has become globalized. Brands need to understand this isn't just greenwashing or virtue signaling; this is the real deal.”

AI is also helping brands overcome communication challenges in the country. Bansal described India's approach to the technology as“articulated intelligence”-alluding to AI's potential to bridge socioeconomic divides in a multilingual, multi-tiered society.

He pointed out the increasing use of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which simplifies transactions across India, and noted how India's payment systems influence international practices.“India is already a leader in mobile transactions,” he said, calling it a“perma-opportunity” for tech-driven growth.

Prabhu added:“It's important to note that for brands entering India, there is a new way of doing business that starts at the grassroots level, utilizing simple smartphones that cost as little as $30 or $40. The smallest shops and merchants in India can transact without a credit card using mobile phones.”

As Indian communications and technology gain more global influence, rapid changes in the country also create new responsibilities for brands.“Data is cheap, and it's so easy to send information, many people don't verify it,” Prabhu said, warning brands to stay vigilant in India's fast-paced digital environment.

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