Government proposes ‘Made in India’ label to promote Indian products globally

The Indian government is discussing a proposal to establish a “Made in India” label to promote the Indian brand in global markets, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday, October 2, quoting people aware of the development. 

The officials said that a high-level committee is examining the details of the scheme.

The objective is to create a strong brand identity for India, similar to how “Made in Japan” or “Made in Switzerland” evokes an idea about quality, the report said.

“That we want for India also,” said the official quoted in the report. “When we think of Switzerland, we often think of their watches, chocolates, and banking systems,” he said.

“We are having discussions on how we can do that. Do we make this scheme for specific sectors like textiles, where we have strength in that. So we are looking into such things,” the official said, according to the report.

According to experts cited by the news agency, quality consciousness is key to promoting the ‘brand India’.

India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) promotes and creates international awareness about the “Made in India” label in foreign markets on behalf of the government. It is a trust established by the Department of Commerce.

India's brand strategy should be focused on three pillars, i.e., brand high-quality products, improve product quality for less than best products, do not focus on branding, and actions to improve product quality, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a think tank quoted in the report.

“India can take several actions to naturally improve its branding. Consistent product quality and reliability should be a priority. For instance, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has gained global trust through its production of high-quality generic drugs,” they said.

“To protect this reputation, India must enforce strict actions against substandard suppliers,” said Ajay Srivastava, founder of GTRI, as per the report. He said that until India achieves top-tier production standards in a sector, branding should take a backseat.

“For example, between 1990 and 2010, China quietly became the largest contract manufacturer of electronics like TVs and refrigerators without pushing its firms to focus on branding. Once confident in its product quality, China then aggressively promoted its brands,” Srivastava told PTI.

'India Quality Product'

India could establish a unified brand called 'India Quality Product' that signals excellence and reliability. He said that manufacturers and exporters would need to meet specific product and packaging standards to use this label.

“The initiative could begin with categories like garments, shoes, and handicrafts, where India has a strong tradition, and then gradually expand to include electronics and engineering products,” said Srivastava.

(With inputs from PTI)