What makes a patriotic brand? Is it their origin story, the products they offer, or the revenue they earn in a financial year? Well, it is all these things and many more, along with the story of a business in the way it has impacted a country’s formation and its economic cause, that can testify to the patriotic nature of a brand.

On the auspicious event of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, let us look at some of India’s oldest and most influential brands with long roots in the country and have certainly stood the test of time in demonstrating their patriotism. 

Patriotic Brands Of India

Tata Group 

In India, Tata is synonymous with belief, trust and a genuinely Indian brand. In its over 150 years of history, Tata has won over the hearts of Indians of all walks of life, spearheading the making of modern India. It is no wonder that an entire generation of Indians has grown up with the well-accepted notion of “Tata Namak, Desh ka Namak“. 

As an Indian multinational conglomerate, the Tata  Group has a presence everywhere, from manufacturing automobiles, aeroplanes and other products to technology, food and entertainment. The Tata Group was founded in 1868 by Jamshedji Tata. It has gained international recognition after purchasing several global companies. 

Godrej Group

The Godrej Group is a Mumbai-based Indian multinational corporation owned and operated primarily by the Godrej family. It was founded in 1897 by Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej and Ardeshir Godrej. The company deals in real estate, consumer goods, industrial engineering, materials, furniture, safety and agricultural products.

This legacy conglomerate has many firsts to its name and thus has significantly contributed to the Indian patriotic sentiment at multiple levels. In 1897, Godrej introduced the first lock with lever technology in India. Godrej produced the first authentic typewriter in India in 1955. It became the first Indian company to introduce PUF (polyurethane foam) in 1989. In 2014, Godrej kick-started Masterbrand 2.0 – bigger and brighter and launched FreeG, India’s first non-web-based mobile browsing experience.

Infosys

Infosys Limited is an Indian multinational IT company that provides business consulting services, IT and outsourcing. According to Forbes Global 2000, in terms of revenue in 2020, it was the second-largest Indian IT company after Tata Consulting Services and the 602nd largest listed company globally.

Much before India rode on the start-up bandwagon, the seeds of entrepreneurship began mushrooming during the reign of the British Raj. It was the Swadeshi movement back then when Mahatma Gandhi urged Indians to wear khadi fabric and make salt as it could weaken the British hold on India. Buying and selling British goods would only mean giving more monetary control and power to the Englishmen. In defiance of British rule, freedom fighters burnt heaps of British goods at the crossroads. Burdened under high taxes, and high prices of consumer products, Indian brands such as Amul, Mysore Sandal Soap, Boroline, Asian Paints, Keventers, Parle G and S Chand group emerged during the pre-independence era that rose to become timeless and iconic. There are many more such Indian brands. The Indian brands sought to bring economic freedom by reviving domestic products and manufacturing processes.

As India celebrates its 75th Independence Day, let us have a look at how such Indian brands have become a household name. 

Swadeshi brands 

The majority of the brands that took birth during the pre-independence era, were competing with British goods as a part of the Swadeshi movement. The brands latching on the patriotic sentiment developed consumer products that focussed on affordability and revived the old Indian remedies that were on the verge of extinction. One such brand is Dabur. Dr. S.K. Burman, founder of the Dabur brand, infused Ayurveda in its products. Allopathic medicines the British made were expensive. He developed small tablets that helped in digestion and began selling chyawanprash to boost the immunity of children. Those small tablets of digestion are today’s Hajmola. 

Brands that are every generation’s favourite

In today’s era of Starbucks and Café Coffee Day, yet at a roadside tea stall, we would ask for a pack of ParleG biscuits. Biscuit – a sweet British snack people had mostly with tea was expensive for the Indian masses. In 1939, the Chauhan Brothers, deeply rooted in Swadeshi, felt it was their responsibility to sell affordable glucose biscuits to Indians after leaving their textile business since it included transactions with Europe. Today as well, in local train stations or crowded bus stops you will find people munching on a Rs 5 pack of ParleG happily. ParleG became the first Indian FMCG brand to cross the Rs 5000 crore mark.