Local, not global: Indian brands are rare in foreign marketplaces

Haldiram's, in contrast, is one of the handful of Indian-owned and -developed brands that not only grew but held its own against the snack foods flood from multinationals

News that several global private equity firms are queuing up to buy a stake in snack-food major Haldiram’s is a reminder of the relative rarity of Indian brands in the global marketplace. Ever since the Indian economy opened up to global competition in 1991, it is foreign names that have come to dominate Indian homes. Many Indian brands have either disappeared or ceded space to foreign competition. Where Onida and Videocon once dominated the domestic market for TVs, washing machines, and household appliances, Japanese, Korean, and, increasingly, Chinese brands now rule the showrooms. In cars, the Premier Padmini and Ambassador