As we stand on the cusp of celebrating our 79th Independence Day, it’s a moment for reflection. We’ve achieved monumental feats. We are a nuclear power, a space-faring nation with a historic lunar south pole landing and the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Our Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a global case study. Our minds, our intellect, are the engines of global tech giants and the backbone of the world’s financial hubs. And yet, a curious paradox that sits at the heart of our business world baffles me almost everyday!!
When a major Indian conglomerate needs to audit its books, restructure its business, or get strategic advice, the first call often goes to one of the “Big 4” or a top Western consulting firm. The presentation is delivered in a plush boardroom by a smart, articulate partner. The analysis is sharp, the recommendations sound.
The irony? That brilliant partner, and the entire team of analysts who crunched the numbers and built the models, are almost invariably Indian!! So, here is the ₹100 crore question: Why, after 79 years of political independence, do we still seem to require a Western stamp than to trust our own?
The Lingering Colonial hangover
In my professional experience: our corporate corridors still hover in colonial shadows. It’s not a myth; it’s a deep-seated psychological deference we’ve carried for generations. We were systematically conditioned to believe that Western systems, processes, and validation were inherently superior. This ingrained belief hasn’t vanished. It subtly whispers that a homegrown solution, no matter how brilliant, is somehow less rigorous, less credible, than one packaged with a foreign logo.
This isn’t a conscious bias people admit to, but it manifests in our choices—the preference for a foreign MBA, the validation that comes with a stint in London or New York, and the corporate deference to a Big 4 report.
It’s not us, it’s them: It’s Not the People, It’s the “System”
The defenders of the status quo will argue that clients aren’t paying for the Indian employees; they’re paying for the global “system”—the standardized methodologies, the global knowledge network, and the accumulated brand equity of the firm.
And there’s truth to this. These firms sell a promise of a rigorous, replicable process. Hiring them is also a form of risk mitigation and enhancement of their brand in market to be able to afford them, we have arrived! But this argument conveniently ignores the fact that these “global” systems are now largely run, refined, and executed by Indian talent. We are maintaining the engine, adding the fuel, and servicing all its parts. Why haven’t we built our own engine yet?
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Talent
I strongly feel this cycle seems hard to break. The Big 4 and other MNCs have historically offered better pay, global mobility, and a more structured career path. Naturally, they attract a significant portion of the top-tier talent from premier Indian institutions.
This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: the best talent flocks to these companies, which in turn reinforces their position as the “best,” making it harder for homegrown firms to compete for both talent and high-value projects. We are essentially exporting our best intellectual capital to a foreign entity that then sells it back to us at a premium.
AHOY ! GLOBALIZATION : The Tide is Turning
Fortunately, this mindset is beginning to crack. A new generation of Indian entrepreneurs and
professionals is emerging with a different kind of confidence.
- Homegrown Success Stories: Companies like Zoho have built world-class software products from rural Tamil Nadu, flatly refusing the Silicon Valley template. Zerodha completely disrupted the brokerage industry with Indian tech and a lean model. AIRTEL the biggest INDIAN Telco just introduced AIRTELCLOUD. ISRO continues to deliver space missions at a fraction of the cost of its Western counterparts. These aren’t just businesses; they are powerful statements of intellectual sovereignty.
- The Rise of the Indian Brand: Ahem.. Ahem .. The KOHLAPURI! On a serious note, we are seeing the slow but steady rise of boutique Indian consulting firms, tech companies that are unapologetically homegrown and are winning clients but its important the large Indian Conglomerates give chance and nurture these Indian firms too.
- A New Confidence: The generation that entered the workforce in the 21st century is less burdened by the past. They see themselves as global citizens, they are building for the world, from India. However would like to reiterate again its the turn of the Older Indians (brands) to bring the home grown brands into their fold.
The final frontier of our independence is not political, but intellectual.
It’s the moment we, as a nation, collectively decide that the sharpest mind in the room doesn’t need a foreign logo on their business card to be considered the expert. It’s when our boards and promoters actively seek out and trust a homegrown firm, not as a cost-saving alternative, but as the premier choice.
We have the talent. We have the intellect. We have the work ethic. The only thing left is to have the self-belief to build, brand, and back our own.
Indianbrands #Independence #Big4 #Airtel #Zerodha #Zoho #Kohlapuri #BusinessConsulting BrandAudit #digitalindia