External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar  praised the concept of ‘Brand Bharat,’ describing it as a “statement of authenticity” in how India is represented, articulated, and in its beliefs. He stressed that it also conveys a message that “we are now more comfortable in our own skin.”

Jaishankar highlighted during a virtual address at India Ideas Conclave that it also represents the “brand of Vishwa Bandhu” where on the global stage, a “multi-vector approach” engages the Quad and BRICS, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran, as well as the Global North and Global South.

Nations, like people, enterprises or services, have a reputation. When this reputation becomes deeply ingrained in people’s minds and easily recognizable, it evolves into a brand. Clearly, this is tied to the merits of the nation and its track record, he explained.

“When it comes to a country, the national brand is obviously a fusion and aggregation of different facets of its life. On the global stage, it is much more an integrated positioning of multiple endeavours. We, in the world of diplomacy, have that responsibility. My thoughts today are about how we discharge that for an India that is more Bharat,” he said.

In his virtual address, the External Affairs Minister outlined India’s journey from its struggle for freedom to achieving independence, and the path the country followed in the decades that followed.

“Our initial decades after independence saw us struggling with the brand challenge. Given the ground situation, this was not unsurprising. A society recovering from two centuries of colonialism obviously had to painstakingly build itself up, creating new capabilities, institutions and practices,” he added.