Swadeshi means ‘from our country’—one of the first words that emphasize the importance of products that are originated from our land. The word has huge importance and weightage in its name also because its history is traced down to the national independence movement when Indians boycotted foreign products to encourage domestic products.
The list of those companies that were originated when India was a new-born country includes:
Allahabad Bank, which was established in the year 1865 and is the oldest joint stock bank. Companies like the Tata Group – established in the year1869, Parle G – established in the year 1929, Godrej – established in the year 1897, Dabur – established in the year 1884, and Vadilal – established in the year 1907. Now many of those companies sell their domestic products globally, and Made in India products are now international commodities.
Many of these Indians brands are now ruling in the international market with their outstanding products and services. The aspect of westernization has dominated the modern world and so on but in reality, there are some brands that people think of as foreign brands, but they are actually of Indian origin.
After the 1950’s initiatives regarding the growth of the Indian market’s demand and supply were taken into consideration, for example, Jawaharlal Nehru was worried about the growing demands of foreign cosmetics by women, and so he asked Simone Tata and JRD Tata to work on it, which gave birth to the brand called Lakme.
A determined attitude is an essential part of maintaining a position as a top Indian brand amid so many other national and international brands. Some of those brands were also owned by foreign nationals and later sold to Indian business owners, which is why many of them have European names. Now, these businesses are well established and are striving to occupy the maximum portion of the market.
Here is an examination of the best Made in India brands in the market that are flourishing enormously on international levels.
The Royal Enfield – Was established in the year 1893; Royal Enfield is a British-originated company. Earlier, these bikes were produced in a company called Enfield Cycle Company. Then in 1994, Enfield Cycle Company was sold to Eicher Motors company; it is an Indian motorcycle company and was founded in 1948. And so, the company was renamed Royal Enfield from Enfield Cycle Company. The famous characteristics like its high-capacity engines and their thumping sound are the charm of Royal Enfield.
Van Heusen India –Was founded in the year 1889, was formerly known as Phillips Van Heusen Corporation. This brand comes under PVH Crop. PVH is named after an immigrant called John Manning Van Heusen; he was Dutch. Now, this Indian brand is owned by Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited. Van Heusen brand is Made in India brand and also one of the first fashion powerhouses to earn billion dollars.
Old Monk – Many unknown Old Monk fans are unaware of the fact that their favourite Old Monk drinks are Made in India. Many believe that it’s a foreign liquor. This brand is famous even after the lack of advertisement and is India biggest liquor brand. This dark rum brand came first into the market of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in the year 1954. By the company called Mohan Meakin Limited. It became a world-leading black rum seller in 2013. Its retailers are also present in countries like Japan, the USA, UK, Russia, Estonia, and more.
Allen Solly – This brand in the 20th century landed into Indian hands. Madura Garments bought it in the year 1993. Originally Allen Solly was originated by William Holin and Company Limited in the year 1744. And the company’s ownership was required in the year 2001 by the Aditya Birla group, and the brand turned out to be one of one most well-known brands in the Indian market. It has many fans not only in India but abroad also. Its online store is very popular too.
Flying Machine – Its famous designer was an Italian designer called Chicco. This famed Indian brand was founded by Arvind Lifestyle Brand Limited in the year 1980. It is one of those awesome brands, which sell denim clothes. It glows among the finest made in India denim cloths.
Masala Monk – Is founded by a blogger and a business Owner, Shashank Aggarwal, in the year 2018. The company makes mouth-watering food ingredients and is the king of many hearts who love the variety of tastes in pickles, grains, sauces, fruits, dips, spices, mixes, and a lot more. Its variation in flavours had made it one of the top famous Indian brands.
Peter England – the brand founded in 1997, is famous for its shirts, their lace doilies and of course, the scent of cinnamon tea. This legendary brand is owned by Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, which is a secondary brand under the Aditya Birla Group. In India, this brand is one of the most well-known brands for its menswear collection.
Lakme – who doesn’t know this brand? This brand has become the second name of cosmetics, especially lipsticks. It belongs to Hindustan Unilever and is controlled by CEO Pushkaraj Shenai. Lakme is a classy French name, and its name is based on the French opera called Lakme; it is derived from Laxmi, a Hindu goddess. The company was a start-up of Tata Oil Mills, also known as the TOMCO, a section of Tata Group.
Louis Philippe – it is one of the most celebrated Indian brands; its history is traced back to 1989 when Madura Fashion and Lifestyle started it as a brand of men’s clothes. The brand is named after Louis Philippe, a French monarch who ruled from 1830-1848.
Micromax – is a fearsome competitor in the coming world of gadget technologies. It started in 2000 as an IT software company is now famous Gurgaon based electronic company. It has surpassed South Korean brand Samsung in 2014 and has its toes in the international market.
Da Milano – The company was launched as an exporting company of leather goods in the year 1989. Now is well known for its Italian flavour but rarely known for its Indian origin. The brand was inherited by Sahil Malik in the year 2000.
France Leone – was founded in the year 1989. The name with an Italian accent is an Indian establishment that works well and supplies men’s formal footwear. It is owned by a footwear technologist who later became a matured shoe perfectionist, Vishal Bhambri.
Jaguar – the company was originally founded in 1922 with the name Swallow Sidecar Company. Later, Jaguar Cars and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors in the year 2008 by Ford. Now Indian Jaguar is a well-known, legendary vehicle brand.
Amrut Single Malt – a favourite of many highly demanded liquor brands, has reached the international market in very little time. This made in India brand owns the credit of the world’s third finest single malt. The business was started in 1948. The company went global in 2009 when Neelakanta Rao Jaggdale transformed it into a whisky company.
Hidesign – it was founded in 1978 by Dilip Kapur, and its first store was inaugurated in 1990. The company is based in the beauty of Pondicherry and manufactures leather goods and exports them globally. It makes accessories and products from leather imported from Tamil Nadu.
Munchi Polo – many who think this is a German brand are often surprised when they come to know it’s made in India. The company is known for the branded kids clothes it supplies. The company is owned by a project company called Catmoss Retail Private Limited, which is led by Sudipt Ghosh and Ashwin Chawla.
La Opala – another name that feels like France but again surprises, it is an Indian brand, which was founded by Sushil Jhunjhunwala in 1988. The company manufacture and sell excellent tableware and cutlery.
Café Coffee Day- a name that is spread all over the world in every city. Chikmagalur based company called Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company is the owner of this Indian coffee chain-CCD. CCD, where almost every one of us hangs out, has a very home-like ambience. It was founded in 1996-Banglore, and now its presence has spread over Prague, Vienna, Dubai, and Karachi. They grow their coffee, make their own coffee machines and even furniture for their CCD.
Monte Carlo – Established by Oswal Woolen in the year 1984. It was named after the well-known Alps destination, Monte Carlo. Now it is a leading fashion brand for both men and women in India owned by Ludhiana, Punjab based Nahar Group, which is its parent company.
East India Company – Yes, who doesn’t know this name? The imperialist trading company that was earlier known as the British East India Company is now owned by Sanjiv Mehta high-end extravagance goods provider.
—
What a twist in history, right? Now next time you think of shopping, do remember these made in India brands.
These brands have many interesting stories to tell about their struggle and achievements. Many were born before Indian independence and are now touching the sky in the independent country.
People with the right frame of mind have always given us the right direction to grow. Once JRD Tata said, “for Indian brands to develop, it is essential to have an attitude towards creating something new.” These brands have experienced the social boundaries of the time and have overcome that social stigma in the journey of achieving their goals.
