Over the last few decades, there has been a tremendous change in India and the way it is perceived globally. The country today is seen a producer of world class products, with a vast pool of talented people, who are leading lights in their respective fields. In every sphere, India has taken rapid strides, evolving and adapting to a rapidly changing global scenario to emerge as a powerful player in the global arena. Brand India today is synonymous with quality and talent.

If we look carefully, we observe three primary drivers behind the surge of Brand India in recent times. These include a) A new confidence that underlies Indian youth, who are willing to compete with the world’s best across industries, b) A projection of soft power via our movies, culture and tourism, where India showcases its best in the arts and its heritage to develop a strong brand and c) A quantum improvement in the quality of our goods and services, which enables us to be perceived as globally competitive.

Over the next 10 years, these drivers will become even more important. They will evolve in a direction where India’s position as the world’s fastest-growing democracy will strengthen. Brand India will carry more weight as the strength of our democratic traditions will provide us with a stature and respect that will be difficult to replicate.

When I study my own sector closely, I find that the transformation in India’s manufacturing industry has been possible because of a single-minded focus and a determination to achieve the best possible quality globally, and constantly innovations to develop new products and processes. India’s capacity to innovate in the face of multiple constraints has given us a distinct advantage to develop innovations in our manufacturing processes over a period of time. Thus, we not only have low costs, but we are also able to deliver higher quality at every level. The manufacturing sector has also benefited from a steady supply of talent from India’s engineering, technical and scientific institutions. This provides the bedrock for enterprises to achieve new heights in manufacturing excellence.

- Venu Srinivasan