· Tata record solid 9% brand value growth to US$14.2 billion under new chairman
· HDFC Bank is India’s strongest brand, with high AAA brand rating
· Kotak Mahindra Bank is India’s fastest-growing brand, up 74% since last year
· Public sector banking brands see dent in brand values amidst turbulent year
View the full list of India’s 100 most valuable brands here
Tata Group is by far the most valuable brand in India, with a value surpassing that of the second (Airtel) and third (Infosys) ranked brands combined, according to the latest report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.
After a few years of below 5% growth in brand value, Tata Group has surged ahead with a 9% growth to US$14.2 billion consolidating its No.1 rank by a huge distance. Considering Tata has been way ahead of the rest at $13.1 billion in 2017, this 9% is a tremendous surge, reflecting a solid year. The US$1 billion increase is the result of much tactical streamlining, refocusing and re-energising of Tata’s key businesses TCS, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals.
David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:
“Under the pragmatic leadership of chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Tata Group is pursuing a consolidated long-term strategy as it ushers in a new era. Chandrasekaran has reviewed the Group’s most senior positions, introduced an experienced team of former bankers tasked with overseeing group finance’s and made tactical leadership changes across the financial services and hotel brands. This year’s success can truly be attributed to a productive first year in office for the new chairman.”
HDFC Bank takes title of India’s strongest brand
A similar surge is observed in HDFC Bank which has broken into the top 10 this year, following a 19% brand value growth and claiming 8th rank among India’s most valuable brands with a US$4.1 billion valuation. Over the past year, HDFC Bank has grown steadily, making small and sensible acquisitions whilst maintaining its focus on digital banking. The bank has cleverly attracted young customers who want to buy, pay and invest at the click of a button, directly through their cellphones, even offering preapproved personal loans that can be expended within seconds. HDFC Bank is clearly proving its resilience and growth in the face of banking scrutiny and headwinds sweeping the sector.
Aside from measuring the overall brand value, Brand Finance also evaluates the relative strength of brands, based on factors such as marketing investment, customer familiarity, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. Along with the level of revenues, brand strength is a crucial driver of brand value. According to these criteria, HDFC Bank is India’s strongest brand this year with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 88.0 and a corresponding brand rating of AAA.
Kotak Mahindra Bank is India’s fastest-growing brand
Another banking brand which has had a successful year is Kotak Mahindra Bank, (up 74% to US$2.1 billion), making it the fastest-growing brand in the Brand Finance India 100 2018. The brand has not only expanded its countrywide presence but also shown tremendous discipline in shaping its governance and customer experience. It has also recently strategically partnered with Ripple, to provide near-instant cross-border remittances using blockchain technology.
Public-sector banking brands take a dent
On the whole, India’s public-sector banking brands have taken a big dent in both their brand value ranks and growth, whilst the country faces its worse crisis of confidence across the banking sector. Most of the top 100 PSU banks have seen a decline in brand value growth: SBI at 19%, IDBI Bank at 30%, Punjab National Bank at 16%, Syndicate Bank at 9%, Central Bank of India at 21%, and Bank of Baroda at 14%.
David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:
“In a year of non-performing assets hitting the major banks, with further tightening of India’s financial sector alongside market uncertainties, the towering strength of strong governance is now more important than ever. The year ahead will be a test for brands navigating their way through the changing governance landscape.”
Telecoms dial down brand values
There are huge changes afoot across the telecoms sector too, courtesy of Reliance Group’s disruptive operator Jio, triggering a drop in brand value of Airtel (down 14% to US$6.7 billion), Idea Cellular (down 15% to US$1.7 billion) and BSNL (down 23% to US$ 0.5 billion).
The Indian mobile ecosystem has witnessed incredible growth in recent years, with package offerings and cut-price plans expanding, and 4G becoming more popular in a bid to satisfy the needs of a mobile-data-hungry population.
Brands to watch
From among other notable brands featuring in this year’s Brand Finance India 100 league table, Maruti Suzuki has zoomed ahead with a 26% brand value growth to US$3.2 billion over the past year, jumping from 17th to 13th spot in the ranking. It has certainly been a year of many successes for Maruti Suzuki where it has redefined its brand standards, maintained growth of Nexa, its alternative retail dealership format for premium cars, alongside a plethora of product offerings that charmed the market.
In this year’s Brand Finance India 100 2018, it is evident that brands with strong fundamentals have stood to gain significantly: Bajaj Group (up 30% to US$2.4 billion, ranked 19th), Bharat Petroleum (up 21% to US$2.4 billion, ranked 20th), Yes Bank (up 21% to US$0.7 billion, ranked 36th), and TVS (up 19% to US$0.5 billion, ranked 53rd).
Finally, there is one brand that has been consistently making its presence felt in the rankings over the last 3 years. The motorcycle manufacturing brand Royal Enfield is gradually taking the “Made in India” tag to a global scale, and it has again registered a 25% brand value growth this year, making it one of the steadiest-growing brands in India. With a brand value of US$0.6 billion it moved up from 59th in 2017 to 43rd this year.
View the full Brand Finance India 100 2018 report here
ENDS
Note to Editors
Every year, leading valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance values the world’s biggest brands. The 100 most valuable brands in India are included in the Brand Finance India 100 2018 league table.
Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand strength is assessed through a balanced scorecard of factors (such as marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance) and used to determine what proportion of a business’s revenue is contributed by the brand.
Additional insights, more information about the methodology, as well as definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance India 100 2018 report.
Brand Finance helped craft the internationally recognized standard on Brand Valuation – ISO 10668, and the recently approved standard on Brand Evaluation – ISO 20671.
Data compiled for the Brand Finance league tables and reports are provided for the benefit of the media and are not to be used for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance for more than 25 years, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organizations of all kinds make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance has offices in over 20 countries, offering services on all continents. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 5,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on over 5,000 brands, surveying more than 150,000 respondents across 38 countries and 31 industry sectors. Combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database enables Brand Finance to arm brand leaders with the data and analytics they need to enhance brand and business value.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm, leading the standardization of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
