The Tata Group is India’s most valuable brand, followed by Reliance and Airtel. In a press release, Interbrand India said the Tata’s brand value is estimated at ₹73,944 crore. It has held on to the top position for the fifth year in a row. Jio’s launch has pushed Reliance to the second position (₹38,212 crore) and Airtel occupies the third (₹36,927 crore).
HDFC Bank, Life Insurance Corporation, State Bank of India, Infosys, Mahindra, ICICI and Godrej follow in that order to make up the top 10 best Indian brands. Purpose, technology and brand were the key growth drivers, Interbrand said, adding that these qualities were reflected in the growth of Maruti, Reliance, HDFC, JSW and Kotak.
Over half of the brands on the list came from five sectors: Automotive (5), Diversified (10), Financial Services (12), Telecom (2), and Technology (2). In Automotive, one of the top growing sectors, Maruti Suzuki led, posting a 19 per cent increase in brand value over 2016. Royal Enfield, at 17th position, is a new entrant into the list, valued at ₹9,078 crore. It owes this to its financial performance year on year and branding efforts.
Ambuja Cement (₹1,518 crore) is the other newcomer, at 40th rank, due to its financial performance despite the impact of demonetisation and recent merger with ACC, Interbrand said.
Referring to Interbrand’s global list where Apple, Google and Microsoft are the top three brands, Ashish Mishra, Managing Director, Interbrand India, said, “The Best Global Brands understand that brands are the platform for growth. A quick look at the top growing brands confirms how outgrowing the now and changing at the speed of life creates admirable value growth. Encouragingly, the top growing Best Indian Brands too have begun to understand and demonstrate the levers that drive growth and value.”
The Top 40 Indian brands have a combined total value of ₹4,75,570 crore, an increase of 5 per cent from 2016. The ranking is based on the three key components that contribute to a brand’s cumulative value: Its financial performance, its role in influencing customer choice, and its ability to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company.