During the second business session at the IATO 40th Convention in Puri on “Revitalise Brand India – Promotion and Marketing”, industry veteran Rajeev Kohli, Joint Managing Director of Creative Travel, delivered one of the most forthright observations on India’s tourism branding in years.
Speaking alongside senior leaders including Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary & DG Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, and J.K. Mohanty, MD, Swosti Group, with the session moderated by Naveen Kundu, Founder, Tourism Futures.AI, Kohli challenged long-held assumptions about Incredible India and called for a fundamental reset.
At a question directed to him by Kundu, “What are the biggest perception challenges India faces as a tourism destination? How can marketing address these concerns? And how has Brand India evolved over time, from your father’s era to today?” Kohli, known for his candour, began with a disclaimer, “When Ravi Gosain, President of IATO, invited me, he invited me knowing I am not capable of having a filter.”
An Industry Built on Its Own Strength
Rajeev Kohli drew a sharp distinction between the Ministry of Tourism and the wider Government of India, noting that if the Ministry had more resources, the conversation would be very different. Then, turning to the industry professionals in the room, he was blunt, saying, “You have had no support from the country for the last several years. Every piece of business that you have gotten is based on your merit, your efforts, and your money spent, and you should be bloody proud of what you have achieved.”
The Marketing World Has Changed
Shifting to the present, Kohli acknowledged how dramatically the marketing landscape has evolved. He said, “Seven-eight months ago, we did not know what AI was. All of a sudden, the entire world of marketing has been flipped over. And by nature, I am a marketing communications person. That is what I love doing.”
India Today Does Not Have a Brand
In his sharpest remark, Kohli declared, “India today does not have a brand. We have been absent from the market for so long that while we are recognised as a country, we lack a distinct brand presence. He cautioned against confusing national pride with effective destination branding. He stated, “There is a difference between being an incredible country and an incredible tourism product.”
For Kohli, the absence of a brand is not only a gap but also an opportunity. “Given the fact that we have not had a brand for several years, for me, that is an opportunity. We are not going to reinvent something that has been working with. The brand is very old. And no organisation on the planet has stuck with the same brand for decades. Look at a Pepsi, look at a Coke, look at a Sony. There are brand evolutions, and that is the nature of marketing,’’ pointed out Kohli.
Connecting With the Under-30s
To illustrate the need for relevance, Kohli turned to the audience again. He asked, “Can everyone under 30 raise your hands? Everyone else is too old for this business. You have no clue what is going on when you are speaking to this generation. They are being employed differently, they are thinking differently, and they are driving differently. We are getting too old for this.”
For Kohli, India’s branding must target the next generation of travellers. “We have reached the level as an Incredible India brand where we now need to reach the under 30s because they are the clients. That is the generation coming in. What do we want to say, and how do we want to say it? That is a conversation we have not had.”
Global Inspirations
Kohli argued that India must study successful campaigns worldwide. He said, “We need to look at what Turkey is doing, what Thailand is doing. The most amazing advertising today in the world is in Saudi Arabia; they have knocked it out of the park. The communication is different. It is not about elephants, temples and the Taj Mahal. The consumer is looking for something different, and we need to be going to them.”
Industry Must Act Now
Kohli challenged the industry to act independently, rather than waiting for government budgets. He opined, “We need to stop being morose and sad and blaming the government. It is what it is. You have no money today. Maybe we will get it in the next budget. But why are we not doing things on our own? We can. We have the money. IATO has a few crores. Spend it.”
Redefining India’s Brand Persona
For Kohli, the critical task is to define a clear brand identity. He mentioned, “If I put all of you in a room and ask you, what is India? What does India mean to your consumers? It is a confusing zoo. We need to come up with what our brand persona is. What do we stand for? What do we want to be?”
He likened it to a process of growth: “As I go around the world speaking to destinations, and I have done this internally in states as well, the question is, what do I want to be when I grow up? That’s the question India needs to answer for itself,” said Kohli.
Reinvention From the Ground Up
Reflecting on the legacy of Incredible India, Kohli stated, “Incredible India was launched more than 20 years ago. Today we can reinvent what we want to be. Starting from zero is not a weakness, it is an opportunity.”
