Indian brands urged to move beyond rational efficiency toward emotion-led global iconhood

Opinion piece invokes Rory Sutherland's psycho-logic to argue Indian firms—including Tata and Reliance—win on functionality and price but lack the emotional resonance needed to build globally iconic brands. Calls for an alchemical shift from rational to emotion-driven branding.

— Filed Mon, 18 May, 2026, 10:56 IST · Source ET BrandEquity · Updated

Opinion piece argues Indian brands excel at functionality and price but lack emotional resonance to become global icons. Cites Rory Sutherland's psycho-logic principles, urging Indian firms to shift from rational efficiency to alchemical, emotion-led branding strategies.

Why this matters

Adds to ongoing retail-brand discourse questioning whether Indian conglomerates can translate domestic scale into global brand equity through emotional storytelling rather than price-led positioning.

retail-brand: steady at 311 signals in 90d, reflecting sustained focus on brand-building debates.

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