Each one of us can recall going shopping where a high-end brand’s store had cast a spell. As you enter the shopkeepers yell at half price were replaced with a polite well-dressed lady. So, you kept it classy and the only side gazed price tags and dropped the idea of the bargain at the shop you’ve just come from. Later after spending enough to shake your month’s budget, you couldn’t stop flaunting. Was it the product you got or the aura of supposedly foreign product?
Tongue twister designer names and stricken out Dollar price tags, ah! a brand lover’s heaven. But what if you were told that the European or Italian sounding brands you love buying inside colossal shopping malls are actually Indian.
Feeling stupid or ditched? The luxury brands have strategically used our mania with foreign stuff and quality of desi products.
These and many more foreign sounding brands are in fact Indian. So, the same desi things that you drag your mom away from, come back with a name makeover. What else changed? You’re smart enough to get that!
Here is the list of Indian brands with foreign names:
1. Royal Enfield
The bike that a huge chunk of Indian youth either wants or has is a desi product. Though if started as a foreign production, it always had Indian incorporations. Until finally in the year 1955, Redditch company partnered with Madras Motors India to form ‘Enfield India’. Since then these retro looks bikes have been totally Indian products. The bikes were manufactured near Tiruvottiyur, Chennai.
2. Louis Philippe
Couldn’t have imagined to see this name here? Yes, the brand named after a French King’s name has got an Indian origin. Louis Philippe is a brand of Madura Fashion and Lifestyle formerly known as Pantaloons Fashion and Retail Limited. They have their product ranging from mass market affordable wear to high profile luxury clothing. It is a division of Aditya Birla Fashion and Lifestyle.
3. Allen Solly
Friday living, chick office wear ideal for brunches and evening outings. How can such a refined thing be Indian? If that’s what you think, Face-palm! Another globally popular premier Indian brand, Allen Solly is a product of Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, a division of Aditya Birla. They have redefined workwear for men and women. Along with it they also manufacture accessories, bags, chinos, and kids wear.
4. Lakme
Yeah, you read it right in the first time. Lakme is the first Indian makeup brand that rules the industry internationally. It’s an initiative of Hindustan Unilever Limited. Started off in 1952 when the fancy term MUA wasn’t born yet, Lakme is the leading brand till date. Kareena Kapoor Khan is the brand ambassador of Lakme currently. Shraddha Kapoor is also associated with the brand.
5. Jaguar
The British multinational car manufacturer is owned by TATA Motors. Jaguar cars are an Indian based branded luxury automobiles. The lavish cars are part of celebrities’ car collections and the elite class of the country.
6. Van Heusen
Another gem of the Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, Van Heusen. It markets men clothing including jackets, trousers, footwear, innerwear, t-shirt, and shirts. Women too can shop for dresses, tops, jeggings and jeans.
7. Flying Machine
The clothing brand was one of the first ventures in India that were able to bring online and offline sales together. Arvind Limited known as Arvind Mills then was the world’s third largest denim manufacturer back in 1998. Flying Machine is a brand owned by them. In the year 2013, they emerged into the digital era carrying forward their 80-year-old business.
8. American Swan
The American Swan is an Indian brand found the year 2012. Our fascination with the West is responsible for the choice the name. Sandles, polos, pullovers, sweatshirts, belts, wallets, handbags, jewelry, skirts, shoes and the list goes on. The American touch to youth fashion is the uniqueness of the brand.
9. Da Milano
Shahil Malik inherited his father’s business back in 2000. What started off as a store in Delhi now has a chain of its studios across India and the even Middle East. Leather accessories such as bags and shoes with a touch of western design is their specialized trade.
10. Peter England
Last on the list in Peter England again a brand of Madura Fashion and Lifestyle. Men’s fashion whether formal wear or casual is what they deal with. But the brand has another country in the name is totally Indian.