prasad1
Active member
I am not a fan of Baba Ramdev. But the success of Patanjali brand is fascinating.
One of the most interesting dramas taking place in India hardly gets a reference on the political pages, though economic reporting tends to be hysterical about it. The latter reports about the rise of Ramdev's firm Patanjali to a major corporate status. The reports claim that Patanjali makes P&G nervous, its advertisement expenses signalling a new medical multinational.
In a few months, Patanjali has become a household name. This battle has to be seen in terms of the politics of knowledge and communication.
The transition to Patanjali can be seen in three steps. First, Ramdev becomes a popular and a populist hero by advocating yoga and claiming that Western medicine, as practised by MNCs, was a con game adding to the inequality in our society.
Second, this argument acquires a different pace as he hyphenates politics with spirituality. He talks openly of the politics of medicine and makes it a part of the wider BJP wave. Third, he moves from politics to production and creates in Patanjali a household name to rival the likes of P&G and Hindustan Lever.
The way he does it is fascinating. First, he plays on the civilisational unconscious which sees the indigenous as a part of wider authenticity. Second, he merges the middle class consumerism with traditional values by merging a way of life and a lifestyle consciousness. He suggests health is a way of life and then emphasises the contemporaneity of ayurveda. Third, he widens Patanjali to include consumer goods, cosmetics, food supplements, medicalised candy and medicines. Instead of an overdramatised single product, what we have is a spectrum of fascinating goods.
His message is clear - you do not have to be a model to use my goods. His products do not belong to the domain of conspicuous consumption. His treasure is in the everydayness of goods easily accessible, available and affordable. In fact, Ramdev becomes both paradigm and exemplar. He is the model.
http://www.dailyo.in/business/ramde...avi-shankar-medicine-health/story/1/9136.html
One of the most interesting dramas taking place in India hardly gets a reference on the political pages, though economic reporting tends to be hysterical about it. The latter reports about the rise of Ramdev's firm Patanjali to a major corporate status. The reports claim that Patanjali makes P&G nervous, its advertisement expenses signalling a new medical multinational.
In a few months, Patanjali has become a household name. This battle has to be seen in terms of the politics of knowledge and communication.
The transition to Patanjali can be seen in three steps. First, Ramdev becomes a popular and a populist hero by advocating yoga and claiming that Western medicine, as practised by MNCs, was a con game adding to the inequality in our society.
Second, this argument acquires a different pace as he hyphenates politics with spirituality. He talks openly of the politics of medicine and makes it a part of the wider BJP wave. Third, he moves from politics to production and creates in Patanjali a household name to rival the likes of P&G and Hindustan Lever.
The way he does it is fascinating. First, he plays on the civilisational unconscious which sees the indigenous as a part of wider authenticity. Second, he merges the middle class consumerism with traditional values by merging a way of life and a lifestyle consciousness. He suggests health is a way of life and then emphasises the contemporaneity of ayurveda. Third, he widens Patanjali to include consumer goods, cosmetics, food supplements, medicalised candy and medicines. Instead of an overdramatised single product, what we have is a spectrum of fascinating goods.
His message is clear - you do not have to be a model to use my goods. His products do not belong to the domain of conspicuous consumption. His treasure is in the everydayness of goods easily accessible, available and affordable. In fact, Ramdev becomes both paradigm and exemplar. He is the model.
http://www.dailyo.in/business/ramde...avi-shankar-medicine-health/story/1/9136.html