'Brand Bharat' is statement of authenticity; of being Vishwa Bandhu, says EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar discusses 'Brand Bharat' as a statement of authenticity and comfort in one's own identity.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday (November 23, 2024) extolled the idea of 'Brand Bharat' and said it is a "statement of authenticity" in representation, articulation or beliefs, and equally a message that "we are now more comfortable in our own skin".

In a virtual address at India Ideas Conclave, he also underlined that it is also the "brand of Vishwa Bandhu" as on the big stage, a "multi-vector approach" engages the Quad and BRICS, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran and the Global North and Global South.

Nations, like people, enterprises or services, have a reputation. When deeply entrenched into consciousness and easily recognisable, that becomes a brand. Obviously, it is related to the merits of the product and its track record, he said.

"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 a multiple endeavors. 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," Jaishankar said.

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In his address, the External Affairs Minister encapsulated the journey of India from freedom struggle to gaining independence and the course the country took in the succeeding decades.

"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 said.