<div><em>Given the depth and width of the Indian offering, we can have gourmet tourism as a serious global play and an effective way to position India to the world, <strong>Ramesh Jude Thomas </strong></em><em>writes</em></div><div> </div><div>Way back in 2003, I had this very interesting conversation with the Ministry of Tourism under Prime Minister Vajpayee. It was run by Minister Jagmohan and the very articulate Secretary of Tourism Amitabh Kant (of the Incredible India fame). It was indeed incredible that at the time India had fewer tourist arrivals (2.1 million) than a single location in the world viz. Madame Tussauds (2.24 million). The discussion was around a vast, diverse and multi-faceted destination unable to compete with the most attractive tourism brands in the world.</div><div> </div><div>Indeed, we had plenty to offer, but even today the big question still evades the travelling community: What is India about? Like one very well recognised client put it some time ago, “I wish we were more credible than incredible.” So lets look at some of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. France is thronged for its fashion and art, England for its royalty and countryside, Spain for its Latin charm and the US for its sheer energy.</div><div> </div><div>As you can see, all these places have a well-defined character of their own. What is India’s claim to fame? Surely tourists aren’t lining up outside Electronic City. This however begs an even bigger question — what really is India about? What might be the one thing that any country would find it hard to compete with us for? What could be the building block for a robust reputation?</div><div> </div><div>Our global partners at the time of this meeting were the leading name in our practice, boasting one of the most widely travelled teams in the consulting business anywhere. There were few countries they hadn’t worked in. However, whenever a trip to India was planned, the first query was never about the project itself. It would invariably be about the menu for the week-long stay in India. This was consistent to a man, with one insufferable English exception.</div><div> </div><div>Cut to 2014. I am in Delhi looking for a place to have a nice dinner after a long day. Zomato throws up hundreds of options but I was startled by one that had a rating of 4.8. How many can you think of with a score like that (with over 800 raters). I called a couple of local foodies to check for myself and decided it was a worthwhile experiment. It was an experience, which more than lived up to its billing. What was its magic? Simple. It offered the most simple of Indian fare, picked up from any part of the country and served it with style and sensitivity. I have been a regular since and have had no reasons to change my mind.</div><div> </div><div>I believe that food is one area in which most countries would find it difficult to compete with the depth and width of the Indian offering. This is reflected in the most important metrics of any brand or business valuation: High repeat purchase and high advocacy globally. How many business from India can claim this? So after a dozen years I am still wondering why we can’t have gourmet tourism as a serious global play and an effective way to position India to the world.</div><div> </div><div>There are several collateral benefits that go with this possibility. A multi-pronged ecosystem that creates jobs, exports, foreign exchange earnings, farming standards, cold chains et all. Think about this: if this can get us as many visitors as Paris does, it can over-take the IT industry.</div><div> </div><div>So instead of more arbitrage like Make in India, can we start cooking up something of our own for a change? After all, it’s not everyday that you have a sensation like Lady Gaga say that she’s always happy to go into an “Indian food coma”. And I bet what she is talking about is still a Bangladeshi version of what Britain claims is their national dish — Chicken Tikka Masala. </div><div> </div><div><em>The author is president and CKO, EQUiTOR Value Advisory</em></div><div> </div><div>(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 24-08-2015)</div>
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