Indian produce firms can overcome India’s poor reputation for quality and consistency of supply abroad by adopting a committed and disciplined approach to export markets.
So said Rakesh Sharma, president of international sales at flagship Indian motorcycle firm Bajaj Auto, when he addressed delegates at this year’s Fresh Produce India conference organised by Asiafruit Magazine in Mumbai on Friday (24 April).
Sharing his experience of turning Bajaj Auto from a domestic supplier to international player, Sharma said the trials and tribulations of building a branded international business out of India are universal across industries.
He said his firm overcame India’s weak brand reputation by first developing an excellent product to delight customers through technological collaboration with global leaders in its sector, and then by meticulous research of prospective international markets before taking a targeted export plunge.
Finding and working with trusted partners in each market was also instrumental in building the Bajaj business and brand in other countries, Sharma said.
Position your brand where you want it right from the start, he added, since it’s easier to dilute a premium brand than upgrade a middle-range one. But price it right.
“Similar product, lower price – never,” he said.
Finally, offering the consumer an excellent product experience is extremely important, he added.
“As a proposition from India we are already viewed with a jaundiced eye in terms of quality. We therefore cannot afford to make an mistake on quality,” he said.
“We focus on one attribute per brand and what to drive that attribute into the head of the consumer like a hammer,” Sharma explained. “Out of the cloud [of similar products] we want to be the lightening through this specialisation.”
