I cannot agree more with our Prime Minister’s recent address to the nation, emphasising on promoting local products, Swawlambi.
The feel of the handmade, homemade is different. Not just I like to use the homegrown products and wear indigenous weaves- weaves that blend with my ethnicity and persona but somehow Made in India has always made me feel safe; as much as I have been averse to the label, Made in China. Now indeed most people would be across the world!
Not just here it is about products; I would like to take a step ahead and urge people, companies and organisations to engage with homegrown entrepreneurs and agencies as service providers.
Who would know India better than its locals?
Engaging with foreign companies or patronising them for the frills they offer, personally does not make sense to me and never has. Some of the work-oriented people may not be great at making fancy PPT presentations or eloquent, and unfortunately, they lose the race. It’s time to focus on their work output and not the works around it.
Going forward with the significant economic slowdown, I hope the ‘large companies’ get to taste the work of the local service providers and not feel demeaned by hiring Indian Advertising, PR & Communication agencies. Opt for local service providers to boost the homegrown economy and entrepreneurs If it does not happen then Amazon’s of the world will wipe of indigenous in likes of Snapdeal, Flipkart and more which to a large extend are in troubled waters for long.
Is it a mind conditioning
The cascading effect of the mind conditioning in this context, flowing from up the hierarchy may expectantly dwindle soon. In the beginning, it could be because of the cash cow going dry hopefully later the output and experience may make them wonder, about the palatable new change.
The change, not just the multinationals based in India must adapt to but also Indian companies, including the Government of India companies, the state governments and its related subsidies. The time cannot be riper when the shift happens; their budgets are huge competing with Apple, Pepsi & Coke. Instead of letting the Account Directors sitting outside Indian shores in London or New York calculate the number of person-hours spent on a project or a campaign run by the government or its allied companies, it’s time that the government sector and Indian companies muster faith and support to the homegrown to make a significant difference and fuel the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country.
Are we as Indians still crippled by the thoughts of the pre-Independence era wherein made to believe that Indian is not good! Has it impacted our DNA so much that we piggyback our self-esteem on foreign labels & products? The call must come from within, to parade Smokey Eye Mascara of Lakme with the same self-worth as Bobbi Brown.
It’s time that we let go the mindset- Indian hai toh sasta hoga, imported hai toh acha hoga.