HDFC Bank retains top spot in BrandZ Top 50

Millward Brown and WPP have released the 2015 BrandZ Top 50 - The Most Valuable Indian Brands report in Mumbai on 9 September. HDFC Bank retains its top spot from last year. Airtel and State Bank of India occupied the second and third positions respectively.

According to the report, the total value of India’s strongest brands has risen by a third (33 per cent) over the last year.
It is also the highest rate of growth achieved by any BrandZ ranking in the 10 years since valuations began, exceeding that of the Global Top 100 (released earlier this year) as well as the rankings for China, Latin America and Indonesia, the report added.

The valuations were arrived by analysing financial data from Bloomberg and Kantar Worldpanel with inputs of more than 50,000 Indian consumers for over 600 brands in 50+ categories. All brands had to meet these two eligibility criteria:
 ·         The brand is owned by an enterprise listed on  a stock exchange in India
 ·         In the case of banks, at least 25 percent of earnings were derived from retail business.

Financial brands occupying 13 out of the Top 50 spots dominate with the biggest risers being Union Bank of India (no.46, +72 per cent), Punjab National Bank (no.22, +61 per cent) and IndusInd Bank (no.13, +46 per cent). Home and personal care brands together registered an increase of 32 per cent, followed by the auto aftermarket sector (28 per cent), automobile brands (27 per cent) and telecom providers (21 per cent).

David Roth, CEO, WPP The Store, commented, “The 2015 study shows that India is a market of great opportunities where consumers are feeling empowered, and this is increasingly reflected in their brand choices. The new Modi government is committed to creating an environment in which brands can flourish. India is distinct in many ways from other fast-growing markets, however, so simply applying strategies that have proved successful elsewhere will not work in India. Any brand intending to compete in India must gain deep insights into its nuances – such as the need to modernise while respecting the past, and the desire to remain fundamentally Indian.”

Prasun Basu, managing director South Asia, Millward Brown, said, “India’s top brands are strong, and getting stronger – but there is no room for complacence. The top four had to grow their value by 37 per cent on average to hold on to the same positions as last year, and close to 10 per cent of the brands that made the Top 50 in 2014 have dropped out. To benefit from the continuing rise in consumer confidence and optimism brands need to understand the changing consumer, respond with innovative products and breakthrough communication, and experiment and invest in new media that reflect the spirit of the country today.”

Ranjan Kapur, country manager, WPP India, added, “Building a successful brand in India also means helping to build India itself. Consumers are trustful of brands, but trust can crumble overnight. Brands must work hard to sustain trust by connecting with the country’s communal sense of responsibility. Brands need to find ways to support the national agenda, and help to develop a more modern, prosperous and equitable society.”

View the Top 15 list here: