Here are some established MICE powerhouses:

• Cannes
• Davos
• Dubai
• Malaysia
• Düsseldorf
• Chicago
• Cape Town
• Durban
• Bangkok
• Vietnam

These cities, and many others, have thrived by building entire ecosystems around MICE tourism. Business delegations, trade meetings, industry gatherings, knowledge-sharing programs, and industrial exhibitions all fuel the MICE engine. 

A thriving MICE industry creates a ripple effect, generating significant opportunities for airlines, hotels, tourist destinations, local communities, artisans, fashion designers, shopping centers, artists, and cultural events.

India (Bharat) has been diligently investing in world-class convention infrastructure across its diverse cities. These cities boast rich cultures and vibrant energy, extending far beyond the typical tourist hotspots like Goa.

It’s time for India to strategically position itself within global MICE networks, targeting:

• Corporations with offices in India: Encourage them to hold their annual meetings in India.
• International companies: Attract them to host investor meetings, dealer conferences, customer events, and product launches in India, leveraging the country’s stunning historical and natural backdrops and venues.

AAOBHARATDEKHO 

DEKHOBHARATDESH

“Dekho Bharat Desh” (Visit India) and “Aa Bharat Dekho” (Come, See India) are powerful campaigns that capture the essence of the Indian experience.

India offers a kaleidoscope of diversity – in food, languages, cultures, religions, businesses, ideas, music, dance, and technology. It’s a place where visitors can rediscover their humanity and connect with something deeper.

Unlike some countries that rely heavily on MICE to bolster their tourism industry, India enjoys a robust flow of conventional tourists. Its captivating culture, diverse destinations, distinct seasons, unique rituals, massive population, and vast geographical expanse ensure that traditional tourist hotspots are often bustling throughout the year.

However, to cater specifically to the MICE segment, India needs to develop dedicated resort destinations. While attempts like Aamby Valley and Lavasa haven’t fully succeeded, the concept holds promise. These havens should be meticulously designed to cater to tourists, especially large business groups.

It’s time for Bharat to look at exporting these amazing services aggressively to mass consumers at the global level. By strategically promoting its world-class infrastructure, cultural richness, and diverse offerings, India can become a leading player in the global MICE market.

The post Bharat as Global MICE destination – DekhoBharatDesh appeared first on .

The Start-Up ecosystem typically fosters brands built on a foundation of marketing investments, heavy ad campaigns, increased media spending, high visibility, and strong brand recall. Examples include Cred, Blink It, WOW, and Mama Earth.

Despite being one of the world’s largest consumers of electronic products, India lacks a prominent “Made in Bharat” mobile brand, TV brand, or refrigerator brand. Most popular brands like Boat and Noise are white-labeled Chinese products. Apple, while a US brand, assembles its products in India through a Taiwanese contractor.

Indian brands from the past like Texla, Weston, Salora, and BPL have faded away. Similarly, Indian mobile brands like Intex and Micromax were essentially white-labeled Chinese imports. None of these companies achieved true “Made in Bharat” status.

Even established Indian tech giants like HCL, Infosys, Wipro, TCS, and Zoho rarely engage in traditional advertising. Their brand awareness remains limited primarily to employees and the market share.

India boasts some well-known global brands, including Hero, Bajaj, Mahindra, and Tata in the automotive sector. Additionally, Haldiram’s and Sarvana Bhavan have found success as global Indian food brands, though not on the same scale as McDonald’s. Fabindia is a recognized global Indian fashion brand, and Himalaya is a respected global Ayurveda brand.

RJ Corp attempted to create a global competitor with Vango, a South Indian QSR chain, but its reach is largely limited to Indian airports.

Why do Companies from Bharat Shy away from Building a Global brand, and networks on Scale? 

Some of the reasons could be:

• India is a Big Enough Market. 
• Brand Building is a costly affair with Consistent investments, and Indian companies are yet not ready. 
• We don’t believe is Brand. 
• Indians help Global brands scale up, but not do it for themselves

Indian consumers often readily embrace established global brands like Facebook, Sketchers, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, while not extending the same support to domestic brands. So why do Brands from Bharat Shy Away from Building Global Brands?

India has transitioned beyond the “Made in India = Poor Quality” stereotype. The country is a major manufacturing hub for global brands, assembling products for export. This demonstrates India’s capability to produce high-quality goods.

Not One Bharat Shoe brand is Global 

Not One Bharat Electronic brand is a Global 

Not One Bharat Pharma Brand, Ayurveda yes. 

Do we have Potential? Of Course.

 Are we willing to Invest in building brands with the Aura, Class, attractiveness, connect of a Global brand? Doubtful. 

Sparx, INTEX, LAVA. 

Why Indian Brands have failed to conquer American and European minds and the Chinese succeeded? Before that Japanese? 

Is it Tech, Investment, Aggression, or Design? What?

We spoke to some of the Probables but here is what we found.

They are happy with profits. 

Many Indian companies view brand building as a cost rather than a strategic investment. They prioritize short-term profits and volume over long-term brand development.

They are happy to be in the VFM space, and play volumes game. 

Design, Communication, and Investing in Building a Design-led, Global product is not the forte of any new Indian Company. It took decades, for Generation Shifts to Mahindra and TATA to reach there. These MSME, few 100 or 1000 Crore companies don’t have that mindset or Vision Yet. 

Many Indian companies prioritize producing a large variety of products with small profit margins, neglecting to invest in design and create a single, high-quality, globally competitive product. Contract manufacturing has become their preferred business model.

Brands from Bharat need to Invest Heavily in Product/Services Design. India’s success in the automobile sector demonstrates the power of collaboration. Brands like Tata Motors (Jaguar Land Rover), Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra (SsangYong), Hero Honda, Bajaj Kawasaki, and BharatBenz have all benefited from strategic partnerships with global players. Why are such collaborations not happening in the post-pandemic world for global markets?

With the recent disruptions in the global market, one wonders why Indian mobile brands haven’t stepped up to fill the void left by some Chinese companies. Why are Indian brands hesitant to step outside their comfort zones and compete on a global stage?

Can they?

Do they need to?

The marketing landscape has undergone a significant shift. Today, a world-class product can be created, designed, and marketed effectively from anywhere in the world. With aggressive marketing, global availability, and proper regulatory approvals, a product can achieve global success.

Here’s a potential roadmap for Indian brands to consider:

1. Target Indian Globetrotters: Begin by marketing your product to Indian consumers who travel internationally.
2. Attract International Business Communities: Target employees of Korean, Chinese, German, US, and Japanese companies operating in India.
3. Leverage Digital Marketing: Utilize targeted digital marketing strategies to reach select global markets.

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It’s true, that dogs are often considered “man’s best friend,” and cats hold a cherished place in many hearts. During the lockdowns of 2019, with depression a looming threat, many families sought companionship by welcoming pets into their homes. These furry (or feathery) friends provided comfort and connection for both children and adults. In your neighborhood community, you observed a remarkable 1000% increase in pet ownership, rising from 10 to 75 pets in just three years.

Just like parents of human children, new pet owners embark on a learning curve as they navigate the world of responsible pet care. It’s a demanding yet rewarding journey, requiring dedication and attention to the needs of their furry companions

While rescue and adoption are becoming more prevalent, many pet owners gravitate towards specific breeds. Breeders cater to this demand, specializing in popular breeds like Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, and German Shepherds. Unfortunately, there’s often a bias against mixed-breed dogs (Indies) who lack the perceived brand value or status symbol associated with purebreds.

The rise of nuclear families, coupled with an increase in single-child households and single parenthood, plays a role in pet ownership trends. Owning a pet can be a significant financial commitment, with initial costs typically exceeding ₹15,000 and ongoing expenses ranging from ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 per month for maintenance, including food, healthcare, and potential emergencies. Considering these factors, pet ownership is often associated with higher income brackets. Statistically, pet parents can expect to have 2-3 pets in their lifetime, creating a consistent demand for pet-related services.

The pet industry encompasses a comprehensive care model. Veterinarians play a crucial role, in providing preventive care, treatment, and surgery. Additionally, pet hotels, daycares, pet food companies, trainers, walkers, and even birthday party planners cater to the diverse needs of pet parents. This ecosystem thrives on the ongoing commitment of pet owners who integrate pets into their families.

Unlike human children, pets cannot communicate their needs verbally. This adds a layer of complexity to pet ownership, requiring pet parents to interpret their animal’s behavior and body language based on their understanding and economic circumstances.

Several key factors have contributed to the exponential growth of the pet industry:

• The rise of nuclear families
• Decreased emphasis on real-world social interaction
• Increased awareness of animal welfare and responsible pet ownership
• Greater financial affordability for pet care
• Growing independence within households
• Rising concerns about depression and the need for companionship
• Increased levels of loneliness within society
• The prevalence of single parents and single-child households

The pet ownership trend extends beyond traditional companions like dogs and cats. People are displaying a growing interest in caring for a wider range of animals, including cows, goats, and buffaloes. However, limitations of space in urban environments often restrict pet choices to species suitable for apartment living.

In a nation of 1.3 billion people (130 crore), a conservative estimate suggests a pet market size of 10 million (1 crore). Considering an average annual customer value of ₹50,000 per pet, the industry generates a revenue of ₹50,000 crore or more, with a promising trajectory for further growth.

The pet industry is poised to reach maturity within the next few years. This presents a lucrative opportunity for potential investors seeking scalable start up models. The time to capitalize on this growing market is now.

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• The Movies are not clicking.
• The customer is not returning to the Cinema.
• The quality of content has really degraded.
• Bollywood is living in Ivory Towers.

We have heard all this and more.

Let’s understand what’s happening at the grassroots.

A Movie experience for a family of 4 in a good cinema in the top 10 metros is a hit of Rs.5000 plus to a household’s monthly budget.

Rs.400 per person ticket = Rs.2000

Rs.1500 for popcorn and cold drinks. Yeah, you heard it right. For something available in the mall outside the hall, at Rs.200 or Rs.300, you shell out 5 to 10 times more and then some more for Nachos, sandwiches, and hotdogs.

The exit Doors of the cinema in a mall by default open in a food court guess why??

Just to extract that Rs.1500 to Rs.2000 more for amazing food spread which will be wasted at least 50%.

All this for a mediocre movie, will be released on OTT in another 30 days to 45 days anyway.

The families became financially wiser as well as misers in PC/AC era (Post Covid/ After Covid)

They are happy to spend on needs rather than wants.

They can segregate the food, movie, and mall experience into different buckets.

2 of which are fulfilled at home by OTT and Swiggy/Zomato.

For 3rd (the mall experience) who wants to get stuck in perpetual Entry/exit mall jams on a weekend. Best avoided.

So the real problem is not just one. It’s an integrated problem.

It’s not just that OTT has killed Cinemas.

Maybe Cinemas once again need to delink themselves from malls and focus only on Movies.

The greed of making more money from heavily overpriced snacks and drinks needs to be curtailed. You might be making more money per customer but if there are blank shows or 10% occupancy you don’t make any money.

Movie makers will continue to thrive, they will sell Music, OTT, channels, merchandise, etc. The challenge is with Cinemas.

Here are some ideas and lessons from the past.

Run special offers and special days. Vodafone Tuesdays was a great idea. Monday to Thursday offer special discounts or inclusive packages. Nachos, popcorn, Cold drinks iced tea on the house.

These are the things that Cinema chains can do, to bring back the customers to movie theatres. Blunt the sting of heavy family cost.

Monthly Family pack, valid for weekdays only. Like Netflix accounts that people used to share.

Charge 5000 for Family Card. Watch as many movies as you can in a month. Max at 2 per movie, Only 4 movies in a month. Max outgo 16 Shows. Include Po Corns and Cold Drinks for members. PVR can do it easily, and lead the way.

Now on to Bollywood.

It’s time to bring back confidence in content. Stop being street-smart. Become real smart.

If you have confidence in content and concept.

Release a captivating 30-minute short film on OTT platforms a week before the movie’s release.

Generate excitement for the full cinematic experience.

Bollywood today is not able to create a 2-minute trailer for a 3-hour saga which means they lack in content.

Learn from Balki.

Collaborate with advertising agency guys. They are masters in telling a story within tight time constraints.

If the Two key Pillars, The Content & Delivery of the Bollywood, Movie Ecosystem comes out of its Greed and Ego. There is still Hope. 

The post Bring Back the Magic: Can Cinemas and Bollywood Reconnect with Audiences? appeared first on .

Bharat was one such country.

Today, while the world battles disruptions in the manufacturing supply chain, the Fuel crisis keeps their factories and plants running. Bharat is a comfortable place with almost zero food challenges.

Gradually building a Manufacturing Ecosystem.

But the Challenge is to choose between Manufacturing and Services.

Manufacturing is gradually moving to automation, IoT, and Machine learning-driven precision processes. The simplest example is India’s best Car brand.

Maruti’s Gurgaon to Manesar to Gujrat plan. The manpower was reduced by 90%, and the output grew 10 times or more.

So today Suzuki exports more, sells more in Bharat, and Employs less factory force than it should have, thanks to automation. The same goes for all Manufacturing operations in Bharat.

Whereas Services remain hugely manpower driven. The specializations are increasing, and so is the skill set and Value up the chain.

Today Bharat stands at the CUSP of becoming a Global powerhouse of services like

• Hospitality

• Healthcare and Wellness

• Tourism

• Accountancy

• Legal

• Education

• Geriatric Care

• Animation, Graphics, GFX, VFX, and content.

IT and Software we already lead the world

Engineering and Project Consultancy Services, L&T, and Shapoor Pallonji are some of the names.

Bharat’s ancient DNA of “SEVA Parmo Dharma” has a new meaning. Service is the top job.

The world can automate, and systemize manufacturing but services are something that humanity will need for many years to come.

Bharat with the World’s largest population of youngsters, Skilled manpower, and Technology, with deeper penetration of high-speed Internet, is capable of catering to the world’s biggest service challenges.

Bharat can provide the Skillset needed to serve the Elderly worldwide beyond hospitals.

Bharat can provide Holistic wellness Solutions to the world decapitated by the Pharma industry.

All we need is to focus on ensuring and excelling in the Quality of Services that Match Global Standards/Expectations and building Brands around such services addressing global audiences, and consumers.

We don’t need to pitch ourselves as a low-cost alternative only, but center of excellence for all kinds of services.

We need to Pitch Bharat as a services powerhouse with each service vertical driving excellence and global exports in their sector.

Bharat has the largest population of English-speaking, French-speaking, Japanese speaking population across the world, outside their native countries.  Only two other languages which have a larger demographic footprint are Spanish and Mandarin but they are of very little Economic Value. 

From a Global services perspective, Bharat is emerging as the best alternative. Religious focus with German precision and Japanese commitment to Quality is the key.  

Bharat at the CUSP of having learned from.

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The concept is straightforward: Indians around the world are increasingly proud of their heritage and everything Indian. When they encounter exceptional experiences from Indian brands across various fields, they become vocal advocates, propelling those brands toward global recognition.

The time is now for Indian brands, services, and products to embrace this “Vocal and Go Global” movement.

This is the time for Brand Bharat to Shine. Made In Bharat. If you believe your brand is a design-thinking leader, creating products and services the world should know about, now is the prime opportunity to go vocal. This is Brand Bharat’s moment to shine – a time to celebrate “Made in Bharat.”

VoLoGlo builds upon the Prime Minister’s vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan” (Self-Reliant India Campaign). It’s time to celebrate everything “Bharat” – “MiB” (Made in Bharat) should be a clarion call for everything not just produced here, but also conceptualized, designed, and imbued with the spirit of India. This includes promoting all Ayush solutions under the MiB umbrella.

“Make in India” encourages global companies to partner, manufacture, export, and sell their products in India and internationally.

“Made in Bharat,” on the other hand, is a broader concept encompassing everything conceived, designed, and developed in India – for India, by India, and reaching the world from India.

Yoga, Khadi, Ayush, Kerala therapies, wellness systems, educational services, Mahindra cars, Hero motorcycles, and Bajaj scooters are all prime examples. Any brand, product, or service conceptualized, designed, and innovated in India, prepared to take on the world without foreign collaboration, qualifies for the MiB badge.

Similar to BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certifications, MiB should become a highly sought-after standard earned by deserving brands.

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Defining Bharat from Business and Brand Perspective. 

Bharat refers to a distinct demographic and psychographic segment beyond the English-speaking, educated “India” (a colonial term). It encompasses people raised in vernacular education systems, steeped in cultural and family values, with minimal Western influence in their formative years.

India, on the other hand, is characterized by a strong colonial influence in its way of life, education systems, dreams, and especially, the use of English.

Some of the Examples are.

• Mahindra
• Reliance
• Birla
• Bajaj
• DCM
• SRF
• Patanjali
• Himalaya
• Santoor
• Nirma
• Fena
• Ghadi
• Nalli Silk
• Muthoot
• Kalyan
• Malabar
• TVS
• Paytm
• BharatPe
• Manyavar
• Ola
• Tata
• Godrej

Most of these brands are 100% Born and Grown in Bharat. Catering to Bharat and the world, which is where 80% of haratvasis live. Bharat doesn’t speak English as their first language.

Baniya, Marwaris, Kerala, and Tamilnadu brands are typical Bharatiya Brands, while most Parsi brands are Indian.  That’s a very vague way to say it, but it’s the simplest way to say it. 

And we are not talking about MNCs like Nestle, HUL, or Walmart of the world.

But on a Scale of 1 to 10, what’s your Bhartiyta as a brand?  

IQ EQ MQ we all know. But have you ever thought of BQ? BQ is Bharat Quotient #BharatQuotient.

What is the Bharat Quotient of your brand or organization? #BharatQuotient #BQ

Before you ask, what’s Bharat Quotient?

We at Soulworks, have been developing, and evolving this idea, metrics that will define the future of Organizations from Bharat, that will carry the ideas that have been developed, tested, and scaled up in Bharat, to the world.

( Bharat – Essentially means Geography, Demography, and Phychography outside the English speaking, educated, born and brought up, India ( A term given by Colonizers) and Indians. People who grew up in vernacular language education systems, Brought up with Cultural values, and family values, with zero or less influence of western culture in the initial years or Schooling)

• How many people do you have from Bharat (non-metros) in your Organization?
• How many languages does your brand speak?
• How do you celebrate Bharat?
• How do you celebrate Bharat Values?
• How do you use Bharat values to build a stronger organization?
• How many festivals from Bharat do you celebrate with the same zest and fervor? A List would be sufficient.
• How many businesses, and partners do you work with, and support as partners, associates, and NGOs from Bharat?
• How have you used your Organization’s resources, people, and wealth to make Bharat a better place?
• How much Bharat have you seen as a leader and your teams have experienced beyond your operational territories. ?

It’s time to create a Matrix to define Brands, organizations, and leaders #BharatQuotient.

What’s your take, or suggestion on this idea? Feel free to mail, comment, and connect with us on this topic.

Let’s together evolve #MiB #MadeinBharat #BrandsfromBharat #BrandsofBharat as a collective.

The Key differentiator of Brands and Businesses in this century with not be technology or innovation but values, design, and the people behind it. 

#BuildBackBetterBharat as an idea has its seeds in Bharat Quotient.

One of the Building Blocks of 21st Century Bharat will be the DNA, derived from 5000 plus-year-old culture, and value system, which has amazing knowledge, balance, and Sustainability built in its DNA. 

ArthShastra or #EarthShastra 

It’s time to creative a whole Play book around this Idea. Time to discuss collaborate, create 

#BrandsofBharat

BharatBusiness #aatmNirbhar Bharat #BharatQuotient #BrandofBharat #BQ Bharat Quotient Vocal for local

The post Bharat Quotient – BQ, The Simple Term that can redefine Businesses and their Values appeared first on .

Some Key Points of BQ are:

1. Focus on Bharat: The world’s attention is shifting from China to Bharat, and it’s important for Bharat to avoid repeating the mistakes made by other nations during their development journeys.
2. Values and Evolution: BQ is about instilling values learned from thousands of years of Indian culture and evolution into businesses and education, contributing to a better and more inclusive world.
3. Human-Centric Approach: Emphasizing the importance of valuing humanity over mere wealth creation and adopting an approach that aligns with the values and principles of Indian culture.
4. Education and Technical Excellence: Advocating for education systems that incorporate BQ, celebrating local excellence, using technology to bridge gaps, and focusing on learning that incorporates values, sharing, and inclusivity.
5. Bharat vs India or Hindustan: Choosing the term “Bharat” over “India” or “Hindustan” because it encapsulates a rich history of knowledge, culture, and values that have evolved over millennia.
6. Differentiation Through Values: As technology becomes more widespread and a non-differentiator, what will truly differentiate businesses and products is the values with which they are created, not just the technology itself.
7. Celebrating Diversity and Inclusivity: BQ should reflect the DNA of India’s civilization, celebrating its cultural diversity, inclusivity, and values that have developed over 5000 years.
8. Evolution vs. Revolution: Highlighting that India’s journey has been about evolution rather than abrupt revolution, and this philosophy can guide the nation’s development and Global well-being with sustainability, and balance built in the DNA rather than an add-on, external push. 

Bharat Quotient advocates a holistic approach to business and education that draws from Bharat’s cultural heritage and values, and that values the well-being of people and the planet over simple profit. This perspective aligns with the idea of sustainable and responsible growth.  the potential of India to be a global leader in innovation and progress, should be based not only on technological advancements but also on its unique cultural foundation.

The post The concept of Bharat Quotient (BQ) and its importance for businesses and education in India. appeared first on .