The untapped power of cultural capital in swadeshi branding

Walk through any Indian market and you’ll notice something subtle yet powerful: shopping here is rarely just about price or convenience. It is about identity. A packet of food, a jar of oil, or even a strand of fabric often carries with it a story – of heritage, of pride, of belonging. This is cultural capital at work, and it is perhaps the most underused advantage Indian brands hold.

Logos fade. Taglines come and go. But the brands that stay in our lives are those that align themselves with lived culture. They don’t just advertise; they participate. They echo the country's humour, rituals, and everyday rhythms. That’s why when a brand feels like a familiar neighbour, it outlasts a shinier, global import.

Across categories, the same pattern is reshaping consumer choices. Millets, once dismissed as humble, are now reintroduced as health powerhouses globally. 

Foreign foods that once symbolised aspiration are today being reshaped by Indian kitchens, infused with local flavours and trust. Wellness categories once dominated by global chemical formulas are being reclaimed through age-old practices of Ayurveda, reinterpreted for modern lives. 

None of these innovations required loud nationalism or subsidy. What drove it was resonance, the ability to fit naturally into what consumers already value.

What works in one part of India may not in another. In some markets, trust builds preference; in others, charisma wins the moment. The marketer’s task is not to flatten these differences but to respect them, weaving ambition with authenticity. Culture is not static; it reinvents itself. 

It shows up in nostalgia bottled for a new generation, in technology made playful with desi humour, and in traditions reinterpreted as modern wellness. 

For too long, many campaigns have used culture as a garnish, a festival backdrop, a cricket cheer, or a Bollywood reference. But culture in India is not decoration; it is the grand stage itself. It is alive, dynamic, and constantly shaping choices. 

As India advances toward its vision of Viksit Bharat, “Swadeshi goods sold here” is not a throwback slogan. It is a call to action for marketers to root themselves in culture with confidence, not compulsion. 

The dazzle and noise of Videshi brands may capture eyeballs, but true brand strength lies in echoing the living, breathing heartbeat of India’s cultural soul – made by Indians, made for Indians, made in India.

(Priye Choudhary, Marketing Head at BirlaNu (CKA Birla Group), is a senior marketing leader with 18+ years of experience shaping iconic brands such as Samsung, Grohe, Panasonic, Sony and HP.)