Indians have always had a fascination for foreign things. Many a parody has been made of this weakness of our people. At the least we are fascinated by brands that have foreign sounding names, even if it is not an authentic foreign brand. Therefore, it is no surprise that many Indian companies have capitalized on this tendency and adopted brand names that sound Foreign but are actually very much desi.
Franco Leone: Even though it sounds Italian, Franco Leone is a leading brand of shoes from Franco Leone Shoes Pvt Ltd headed by Vishal Bhambri, based in New Delhi. Interestingly the tag line on their website says ‘Truly Italian’. This brand is considered a market leader in formal shoes. They also have other brands like Ganuchi and playboy which sound equally fancy J .
White Mischief: This is a brand of Indian vodka and brandy which you would never have guessed from its name or the advertisements which portrays white people. It is positioned as a young and flirty brand. The Vodka has a market share of 48% making it the largest selling brand of Vodka in India. It is manufactured by Shaw Wallace Distilleries which was acquired by United Breweries.
Chandon Wine: Chandon, even though foreign sounding is actually sparkling wine made in Maharashtra. Some people call any sparkling wine as Champagne, but actually Champagne refers to a place in France and the sparkling wine made from the grapes grown there alone, should be called as Champagne- all other wine should only be referred to as Sparkling wine J. This wine retails in 22 cities across India and is available in two variants of ‘Brut’ and Rose.
Munich Polo: If these two words remind you of Germany, then the creators of this brand have achieved their goal. Munich Polo is an Indian luxury children’s garment brand. The brand is positioned to reflect European fashion and appeal to the affluent demographic.
Knotty Derby shoes: This fancy sounding brand is manufactured in Haryana by Sumangalam Impex Pvt Ltd. The brand however has established quite a name for itself with its superior quality of designer shoes. With its edgy advertisements, this brand is very popular especially in online stores.
Monte Carlo: This is an Italian sounding brand from Oswal Woollen mills which is based in Ludhiana. Their speciality is stylish woollen sweaters. They have exclusive brand outlets not only in India but also in Dubai and Kathmandu.
DA Milano: One more Italian sounding name which literally means “from Milan”. This brand that produces high end fine leather products is based out of Delhi and is a highly successful brand found in the upscale malls all over the country.
IFB: Many of us are surprised to know that IFB stands for ‘Indian Fine Blanks’. Present in the home appliances markets since 1991, this company has made quite a name for itself in that category. They also have an automotive arm that supplies parts to the automotive industry, an agro arm that specialises in packaged foods and fine spirits and a travel arm as well!
