Baba Ramdev is perhaps a better salesman than a yoga guru. Patanjali's recent advertisement in the build up to the Independence Day urged Indians to give up goods and services produced by multi-nationals.
He reminded Indians of the East India Company and the way they 'enslaved' and 'looted' us. He alleged that the multi-national companies were carrying forward the legacy by selling consumer goods at a high price.
Remember your freedom fighters and support 'self-reliant Bharat', the advertisement urged, and, suggested people to use Patanjali products.
Companies exploiting people's sentiments in advertisements is not new. You may come across many such advertisements that foster patriotism to sell products.
But, there was something distinctive about the Patanjali advertisement that, well, made many people recoil.
So, what exactly was wrong? Here are a few points which decode it:
1. Multi-national companies bring jobs: They are important for creation of jobs in the country. Without the big companies in India, the huge number of Indian youth which Prime Minister Narendra Modi boasts about in his speeches would have nowhere to go. A huge section of the new growing generation of middle-class India hold jobs in the same companies that Ramdev wants out of the country.
2. What about FDI: While India continues to struggle with poverty, the present government has made it a top priority to draw as much foreign investment as possible for creation of new jobs. 'Make in India' which invites big firms to come and produce their commodities in India has been Modi's pet campaign since he became prime minister. The progress of Indian companies such as Patanjali is welcomed, but it does not diminish the significance of foreign companies in India which have been here for much longer than Patanjali.
3. 'Profit thus generated is ploughed back to their own countries' - Patanjali's this claim completely negates how global businesses work. Investment, employment and income in the host country usually see a rise when a multi-national company starts operations. The companies also pay taxes to the government for running their businesses.
4. Freedom of consumer choice - At present, Indian consumers enjoy a wide range of options in the FMCG section. If Ramdev's dream were to come true, you and I would have to do away with items that are part of our daily lives. While Patanjali products may be good, we would definitely prefer more options when we go to a shop.
5. Using Independence Day to sell products - But more than the economic aspects, it is Patanjali's blatant use of Independence Day for a marketing gimmick is what makes it even worse. The advertisement goes on to invoke freedom fighters in the process. All in an effort to sell more Patanjali products.
(Views expressed here are the author's personal and Business Today doesn't subscribe to them)