Brand India's image issue

By Kaushik Basu Professor of economics, Cornell University

How India is being marketed abroad

The concept of advertising a nation may seem baffling, but the idea is the same as advertising a firm or its products.

There are, however, two special handicaps in promoting a nation.

First, it is frightfully expensive; and second, since the benefits accrue to so many agents in the nation, it is not in the interest of any single firm or individual to bear the expense.

Hence, the way to proceed is through a conglomerate of firms and the government.

Thus far India has played this well, with the Confederation of Indian Industry teaming up with the Government of India to invest heavily into promoting "Brand India".

Unfavourable impression

But for such an initiative not to backfire it is important that the actual products live up to the promise.

For a variety of goods and services India is doing exceedingly well, but for the one which is arguably the most visible, namely, its national carrier, much remains to be desired.

Send us your views on this issue

Last month, when I had to make a quick trip to India, I decided to fly Air India (AI) to see for myself how the much-criticised airline was doing.

When, at New York's JFK Airport, I entered the aircraft cabin a technician was desperately trying to repair the hand-held TV remote attached to my seat.

When I told him I did not plan to watch TV, he was reassured and exited quickly.

The Velcro on our seat covers was peeling off, and the cleanliness of the cabin and bathrooms, right from the start, did not give a favourable impression.

Mysterious contraption

Across the aisle, seat 17B had a narrow, tray-like structure fitted to the handle, jutting out into the aisle some four inches.

India's domestic airlines offer a good standard of service

Soon after take-off, I noticed the passenger in that seat, a bespectacled Indian gentleman, examining it with the concentration of Faraday observing electromagnetic waves.

With the unerring instinct of a scientist who on discovering a puzzle first checks out if it has already been solved, he asked a passing stewardess what the tray was for.

She, evidently no Marie Curie, had noticed this for the first time and replied, "Sir, this is a tray."

"Thank you, thank you," said the impeccably polite scientist, "but I was wondering why only my seat is having this excellent facility?"

Undisturbed by this anomaly of mechanics, the flight attendant giggled and said, "so that you can keep your glass on it".

"Naturally," said Faraday, realising the futility of further quest for knowledge.

Clearly, privatisation is not sufficient - it has to be combined with intelligent regulation name here

The return journey from Delhi offered its own setbacks, like the malfunctioning sound system.

Undeterred, the November issue of Namaskaar, the in-flight magazine, proudly informs the traveller that Air India has been unanimously voted "Best South Asian Airline" by readers across the continent.

"The airline was presented the prestigious award at the glittering 17th annual travel awards ceremony by TTG Asia Media in Pattaya," the article proudly proclaimed, without explaining what TTG stands for.

Privatisation

Clearly India is capable of better. India's domestic airlines are world class. The Jet Airways flights I take within India are of a quality as good as the best in the world. Why is AI languishing and what should be done?

Privatisation is certainly worth considering. But that in itself may not be enough.

The domestic airline industry in the US is fully privatised, with minimal regulatory controls, but it is in dreadful shape - with abysmal punctuality and poor service quality.

Clearly, privatisation is not sufficient - it has to be combined with intelligent regulation.

What matters above all is the love of excellence. That is what has made India's IT and pharmaceutical industries what they are, and that is what AI lacks.

Given that Air India has significance that goes beyond the airline industry to what people think of "Brand India" itself, the plight of our national carrier deserves attention at the highest level of government.

A proposed merger of AI with another airline has been much in the news, and it is a good time for such strategic thinking.

If it does go ahead, let's hope they can work together to sort out the mystery of that stray tray...

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This debate is now closed. Here is a selection of your views on the article

I flew Air India from Frankfurt to Los Angeles last spring. Entering the airplane was like stepping into another world. The upholstery looked like it was from the 70's, signs were in Korean with translations provided by Hindi and English stickers. One side of the headphones played classical Indian music while the other played the soundtrack to the movie, and the light switch controlled the light for the adjacent seat. The food, however, was pretty good. Too bad they cancelled my flight on the way back with no notice.
Matthew Blaschko, Germany

I think Mr Basu has been very generous to Air India in this article. The truth is that Air India is pathetic - it starts with the dreadful attitude of its flight attendants, continues with its downright filthy and creaking aircraft and the final blow is dealt by its indifferent customer service on the ground. I avoid Air India like the plague.
Rajesh Singh, USA

Well I am surprised at the level of criticism being levelled here. Firstly the food served onboard is excellent. No other airline can come close to AI on this front. The crew is generally very friendly. Of course the facilities inside do need improvement (I have seen worse on other airlines though). Guess a few new purchases of aircrafts should sort this out.
Roshan Pai, UK

All I can say is that inspite of being a proud Indian who believes in India's ability to excel, I am not flying Air India again and neither am I allowing any of my acquaintances to do so. We have to support excellence and merit and that's the only way forward.
Ashish, Netherlands

Disinvestment in the national carrier is really an option that must be considered by the Indian government.
Ram, Singapore

Indians deserve better.
Irfan Deen, USA

Having travelled all the six continents in almost all international airlines, I can say without any hesitation Air India is as good as any. And nobody can excel Air India's hospitality in the air.
Bala Srinivasan, Saginaw, USA

The one redeeming quality Air India has is the quality and quantity of food. It is far better than most international airlines and in a class of it's own compared to US based airlines.
Nimesh Jaspal, USA

I prefer flying with Air India and always recommend it. It does not provide a first class service; however it does provide value for money. I find their fares are the cheapest; they allow 35 kgs baggage allowance in UK-India sector, whereas other airlines allow only 20 Kgs. Their food is always good and they have good vegetarian options. In October, I flew United Airlines in business class and they were not able to provide vegetarian main course. The in-flight crew has always been helpful.
Manoj Pardeshi, London, United Kingdom

Privatisation has opened up a plethora of problems for the government run industries. Many a times the average citizen had no clue that there could be a better service, especially for fellow Indians. Privatisation is a boon for the consumers and yes it may not be good for the industry itself. But all said and done maybe these industries would learn that finally time has come where the consumers will not just accept what is thrown at them and rather realize that with many choices available its a matter of time where any industry could be at a brink of closure. IT, automobile and telephone sector performed miracles when privatised. Hopefully Air India would follow suit once it finds itself with the privately owned competitors eating fast into its reserves of regular passengers. Learn and adapt my friend otherwise we won't even know you existed!
Rohit K. Bhatnagar, United States

I am an Indian by birth and I believe your article should provide as an eye opener for the bureaucracy in Indian airline sector. The private airlines in India are far better compared to the so called "nationalised airline". As a nod to your comments, do you know till recent days only the state oil companies were to supply aviation fuel to the various airports and that too at a premium of over 30% of international fuel prices. This is just a single instance of many such instances. Hope you will comment more on the airline sector, for the next topic you could discuss the airports in India.
Anup Ravi, USA

This was really just a ramble. He starts off by talking about advertising a nation - which could be interesting if compared with other examples etc. and ends with a pathetic rant about the possible dangers of privatisation in Air India. Total dribble. I would expect more from a professor from Cornell.
John Simpson, UK

After a lot of experience of flying around the globe, I think the worst airline is China Eastern. Second worst to me is American because of the service. That being said, I do believe that Air India can do much better by upgrading the infrastructure. As we say - 'looks matter'. Service and food, always the best.
Sunny Bajaj, USA

I have flown to India in all US based airlines. In my experience, Air India planes are as good or bad as other US based airlines. The service was ok. US based airlines can't compete on fare price, food and many times their in-flight service is not good either.
Ravi Kulkarni, Philadelphia, USA

Just to share my story on a recent trip to Delhi. On my way back, I had to spent about one hour in the queue to clear the immigration check. At seven in the morning there are about 600 plus people and six immigration officers. And by 8am, I was the fourth in the queue and then the shift changed. The officer just picked up his bag and left, the replacement came after 10 minutes. During the hour, i saw one lady sitting on the floor and moving one step at a time and sweeping the floor in protest of this delay. Afterwards i saw her complaining in vain to the officer in the counter. I think the main problem with the strategy of promoting the Brand India Inc is there is no mechanism to take any feedback.
Rajesh Kochath, USA/India

I have flown Air India many times and I have to agree with Mr Basu's comments. However, I also flew with British Airways on the past two occasions to India. Yes, there wasn't a "stray tray" and headphones were functional but customer service and the food were two dreadful things in British Airways. You are made to feel you're paying extra for the privilege of flying with BA.
Kumar Arjunan, UK

The irony is that Air India was actually very good back in the 1970s and 1980s - especially for unaccompanied minors, which is how I flew them from Nigeria to India at that time. The last trip I took with them was in 20004 when I accidentally ended up flying them Bombay-Delhi in 1st class. The plane was a vintage 1970 747, the flight attendant was vintage 1930.
Madhav, US

I have flown by Air India on several occasions and have also done that on many other international carriers. I would prefer to fly Air India more than any other airlines because of several reasons. Firstly, the cabin-crew is extremely efficient and hospitable. Their attitude gives a first-hand view of the Indian hospitality. Secondly, the food is extremely delicious. However, I think that the toilets could improve.
Nikhil Bhatia, USA

Mr Basu's articles are becoming increasingly irrelevant and more just fun little private reflections. While it would be grand to have a fine national airline that people outside of India could look at and marvel at the cleanliness of, it's really not that important. This obsession with national airlines reflects a deep-rooted insecurity, and also puts a lot of weight on the image of things, rather than the substance.
Majed Akhter, Pakistan

How can India advertise itself as a nation when the names of its cities keep changing? I don't know what to call them now!
Rob, UK

It is indeed waste of funds by promoting a campaign like Incredible India without reforming necessary sectors related to tourism industry like airlines, hotels and safety of the tourists. Air India and other government organisations are still dominated by bureaucrats which need to be changed.
Rahul, England

Based on my travel experiences with Air India as well other airlines, I think part of the problem lies with many of the Indian travellers themselves who fly Air India. Many, who would otherwise be just as calm and courteous as other travellers onboard other airlines, can be very demanding, inconsiderate and even flout safety rules. There have been occasions when I have felt pity for the Air India in-flight service crew. Working under demanding in-flight conditions may well be a cause for a service that is not on par.
Ashok, Australia

What is the point of this article? What is Dr Basu trying to get through to the readers - because the headline and the story certainly don't match. And what is BBC editorial up to?
Romil Timbadia, Ireland

What ails Air India ails everything that is run by the Indian government -bad management, corruption and inefficiency. Everyone knows the state should quit flying planes and almost everything that can be done better by the private sector. But yet they keep resisting. The answer: the are simply too many people who will lose the privilege of an easy job, fat pay, free tickets and political patronage. Branding India will continue to remain ineffective as long as the Indian state continues to be in the business of doing business.
Amit Jain, Singapore

Personally I feel, there is a deliberate attempt by the government to tarnish the image of Air India, so that it gets an excuse to privatise it. Otherwise, there is no dearth of talented people who can turn it around into a likeable carrier.
Rajeev, UK

The Air India management needs to have a free hand.
Karthik Raju, Sri Lanka

Mr Basu should know that unless India changes its course it will always be a "future" super power. It will never be a super power. India should send its workers to other countries such as China to learn business and service. As long as the civil service system is controlling India and the bureaucrats are enjoying six bedroom houses with servants, peons, cars, and jeeps - what can you expect the development? India is destined to become another Brazil unless corrections are made in its "progress" soon.
Jitendra Lal, USA

I think people are too quick to jump on the bandwagon for criticising Air India, sometimes just for the sake of it.
Gautam Bahal, India

With all this "bull" about "India Shining" and "Incredible India" the reality "on the ground" is very different. Having travelled to over 50 countries, travel in India is not for the faint-hearted. It is ok for the "well-heeled" who can pay the exorbitant tariffs of India's 5 star hotels and arrange expensive packages. For the rest of us, we has to settle for the grime and chaos that is India. Private sector India understands what "world class" is but is totally compromised by the lack of infrastructure and the general lack of civic sense of Indians. The politicians will not understand "world-class". No wonder, India's tourism draw is pathetic compared to China, Thailand and Malaysia. I for one has written off India as a destination.
Roger Mudd, India

I flew on Air India to New Delhi from JFK It was a pretty good flight. The flight attendants were great, the food was great and we watched a few movies. There is always room for improvement, no airline is perfect. If you can't say anything good, then don't say anything at all.
BN, USA

Air India definitely has it's drawbacks but it is certainly better than the options we have in North America. Airlines are under staffed. Food on flights is non existent and you pay $5 for a lousy sandwich. Pillows and blankets too are provided for a charge. When you look at all this Air India does not look all that bad.
Sitanshu Singh, Canada

This is the funniest story i have read in a while, and depicts such an Indian reaction of surprise, inquisitiveness, diplomatic behaviour, and downright silliness. Had me laughing out loud. I am amazed at the serious reactions to your story.
Sunny K, Texas, USA

I have flown on more than 20 airlines and I don't think Air India is that bad. It is much better than most of the popular brands. AI might have some pathetic drawbacks but who is responsible for that! I think we Indians are. Think about the difference in your attitude when you fly with AI or with some other airlines. It changes dramatically after watching so many Indians in the flight. Basu's comments on his co-passengers' and staff clearly states that. We get relaxed off our habits and ethical obligations - because it is an Indian flight I can leave the toilet dirty, for example. Most of the passengers in AI flights are Indians. Only our initiative can make it a better and preferred carrier among Indians and others.
Pankaj, Germany

A similar state of affairs characterizes Indian airports. They are dirty, lack basic facilities and give a first, bad impression to visitors. As a side note, I have even had the wonderful experience of landing in Ahmedabad and then seen a dog running with the aircraft as it taxied.
SP, USA/India

In India, some things can never change and Air India is one of them!
Praveen Thanki, England

Prof Basu's article is very timely, but it does not promote the virtues of free enterprise. When he opines that privatising Air India will not solve the problem, since the domestic American airlines, he reasons, are in a dreadful shape even though they are fully privatised and deregulated. The problem with this logic is that, Prof Basu fails to realize that domestic American airlines are being held to a much higher standard and are constantly being propped up by the US Government and the tax payer, which prevents these airlines from filing for bankruptcy. Consequently, there are too many domestic airlines operating at very low margins. And as for Prof Basu, I suggest a strong dose of Milton Friedman's economics. There is no such thing as intelligent regulation.
Vithal Pai, USA

Before India starts marketing itself, it should address and resolve the shamefully still existing caste system. The darker your looks, the lower you still will be considered in the eyes of society.
Jim Dirven, UK