Our PM Narendra Modi is leaving no stone unturned to create a positive image of India among foreign investors and capitalists. But it seems we need some serious makeover and efforts to improve the branding of our nation, as compared to other developed nations, we are still a beginner.
In the recent ranking of Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index, India has been ranked #31, out of 50 countries surveyed. And among the BRIC nations, our ranking is the worst: Brazil tops the list at 21, China at 23, and Russia at 25.
USA, which was the reigning champion of this index for the last 6 years, have been knocked off by Germany, which has notched top rank.
The Top 10 Nations
| 2014 rank? | 2013 rank? | |
| 1 | Germany | 2 |
| 2 | USA | 1 |
| 3 | UK | 3 |
| 4 | France | 4 |
| 5 | Canada | 5 |
| 6 | Japan | 6 |
| 7 | Italy | 7 |
| 8 | Switzerland | 8 |
| 9 | Australia | 9 |
| 10 | Sweden | 10 |
GFK is a consortium of more than 13,000 market researchers, spread over 100 countries. By combining the local intelligence with global capital market, GFK tries to understand the market sentiments of a nation, with respect to conducting business and attracting investments.
This latest Nation Branding Index was conducted by asking questions to 20,000 respondents, in 20 countries. More than 40 questions were asked to them, about the 20 countries surveyed. The questions were based on the 6 broader categories, based on which perception and branding of a nation depends: exports, governance, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment.
The Silver Lining: Brand India Is Improving In Exports, Culture & People
Although this index doesn’t give the complete picture of the business opportunities and investment possibilities in a country, but it provides a pulse of the realities.
For example, while calculating the index for manufacturing & exports among all the nations, the study didn’t calculate the volume of manufactured products in a country, but the perception and branding: whether people from other countries are comfortable in buying products from the other country, is manufacturing contributing to science and technology; innovation and creativity?
Going by this yard-stick, China has been ranked #12 in the world for manufacturing products, despite being the top country in volume. India, which is way behind in this sector, has been surprisingly ranked #26, which can be described as an achievement.
With regards to the cultural ranking as well, India has been ranked #23, which is a higher ranking than China’s
Why Germany Made It At #1?
Germany’s rise to the numero uno position in terms of Nation’s Brand ranking has been largely attributed to their World Cup victory and their improved social and cultural perception among nationals of other nations. The country is being perceived as ‘honest and competent’, ‘investment friendly’ government and ‘social equality’ among others.
As per the survey, “Germany appears to have benefited not only from the sports prowess it displayed on the world stage at the FIFA World Cup championship, but also by solidifying its perceived leadership in Europe through a robust economy and steady political stewardship,”.
Brand India image is improving no doubt, but it needs some major push not only from the government but the corporate community as a whole. We hope that the hard work performed by our PM and the government will pay off, and will help India develop a better branding.
