Should we be PATRIOTIC while choosing a car?

[amu1983]

Importing goods does not in any way make a country weaker. US has huge (... and I mean HUGE) international debt, and yet enjoys attractive credit rates from Japan and other Asian countries. Currency ultimately is just a piece of paper and has no physical value. Its rate simply is a function of how strong the economy is perceived to be in the world. The more we borrow, the richer our economy is perceived to be, and greater the inflows (of the goods and funds) will be.

[reignofchaos]

Sheesh. Whoever got this stupid idea .

[toiingg]

Whoever can give me a good product for my hard earned money. Nationality doesn't matter.
Although i am a sucker for Jap engines

[1100D]

Are you sure that even if a desi automaker offers a product at the same refinement and attribute levels as, say a Honda, at the similar price as a Honda, our folks would buy the Desi alternative?

[Mayavi]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Are you sure that even if a desi automaker offers a product at the same refinement and attribute levels as, say a Honda, at the similar price as a Honda, our folks would buy the Desi alternative?

Many wont.
Reason? videsi > desi
It is ingrained in the Indian psyche that foreign is always better than Indian, although it is gradually changing. This has to do with the fact that during the raj, goods made for local consumption were always inferior compared to good made for export. Simple reason being the the manufacturers had monopoly and government protection, so their business was safe and they had no reason to improve quality. But exports were top quality because they would lose orders if the quality is bad. Remember the ad's for poonam sarees (seconds)? Their selling line was 'export quality sarees for less'.

So, IMO, choosing a desi car or videsi has nothign to do with patriotism. I am sure that more than 50% of the replies here would have been in favour of desi cars (comparable features or not) if it weren't ingrained in our psyche that foreign is always better than Indian. It took americans several years to accept Japanese cars even though they were offering better VFM.

The question should be, if HM had the same brand value as Honda but more expensive or has less features, which one would you buy?

[1100D]

Originally Posted by Mayavi

Many wont.
Reason? videsi > desi
It is ingrained in the Indian psyche that foreign is always better than Indian, although it is gradually changing. This has to do with the fact that during the raj, goods made for local consumption were always inferior compared to good made for export. Simple reason being the the manufacturers had monopoly and government protection, so their business was safe and they had no reason to improve quality. But exports were top quality because they would lose orders if the quality is bad. Remember the ad's for poonam sarees (seconds)? Their selling line was 'export quality sarees for less'.

So, IMO, choosing a desi car or videsi has nothign to do with patriotism. I am sure that more than 50% of the replies here would have been in favour of desi cars (comparable features or not) if it weren't ingrained in our psyche that foreign is always better than Indian. It took americans several years to accept Japanese cars even though they were offering better VFM.

The question should be, if HM had the same brand value as Honda but more expensive or has less features, which one would you buy?

OT but you expect a people with with a usernames such as 1100D to remember a saree ad!!

BTW it would be interesting to note which markets did those "export" quality sarees catered to? My Guess would be Miami.

Coming back to cars, there was nothing patriotic about buying an HM. HM (and for that matter any Indian car maker till about the early 90's) was not indegenious. The First Indigenious car attempt was the Sierra from Tata and I am sure many on this forum would say how it really sucked (even if I would like to say otherwise).

[Mayavi]

Originally Posted by 1100D

OT but you expect a people with with a usernames such as 1100D to remember a saree ad!!
BTW it would be interesting to note which markets did those "export" quality sarees catered to? My Guess would be Miami.

Just imagine how irritating those ads were that I remember them even after 12 years.
Thats a good question you ask, when only Indians wear sarees who did they export to? Pakistan and Bangladesh?

Coming back to cars, there was nothing patriotic about buying an HM. HM (and for that matter any Indian car maker till about the early 90's) was not indegenious. The First Indigenious car attempt was the Sierra from Tata and I am sure many on this forum would say how it really sucked (even if I would like to say otherwise).

Not indegenous car but indegenous car company. The question still remains, if HM cars were as good as Honda cars, will we buy them even if they are not as feature rich or VFM as the foreign companies. I am sure the answer would be a resounding yes.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by Mayavi

Just imagine how irritating those ads were that I remember them even after 12 years.
Thats a good question you ask, when only Indians wear sarees who did they export to? Pakistan and Bangladesh?




Not indegenous car but indegenous car company. The question still remains, if HM cars were as good as Honda cars, will we buy them even if they are not as feature rich or VFM as the foreign companies. I am sure the answer would be a resounding yes.

My point was slightly different!! Let me rephrase your point itself,

"if desi cars were as good as Honda cars, will we buy them even if they are just as feature rich or VFM as the foreign companies and offered at a similar price."

[Mayavi]

I addressed it couple of posts above. The answer is a 'No', given our illustrative history. It is a fact that Indian products were always inferior and expensive compared to foreign make simply because the companies had a captive market. Now after the license raj is dismantled and competition among companies has improved quality to an extent, we still have the impression that Indian is bad, foreign is good

Now my question is:
Would it be any different if we didn't have License Raj and indigenous companies thrived among competition solely because they had quality. Would we be 'patriotic' then? I would answer that myself - Many people who voted for 'No, I need the best...' (42 last count against 4 yes) would have voted for 'Yes, patriotism will prevail'.

[1100D]

Going by that logic? How about the "Clothing" scene?

Or may be you are trying to say is that the License Raj ingrained the "Phoren" thing so much in us that we sometimes even fail to differentiate whats probably is good in us. Thats really a good insight as to "why" this foreign craze exists in the first place.

In that case, the License Raj is now no more but the reservations continue. Maybe we need to give more time for the idegenious stuff to come upto standards others have reached but the big question, which only time can answer, is that will the mindset change then?

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Who cares where / who made the car? If it is good build, quality, value for money and meets my needs, I buy it. If get patriotic, the domestic manufacturers will have no incentive to improve quality.

[vabs78]

what patriotism???
the whole world is my home

[wolfinstein]

I would surely like the best, I can afford..But its a Feel good factor to have your Home Nation Product excel and compare along with the best the world has to offer.

Indians unfortunately have this thing for anything Made Abroad, But look at American Automobile Industry- They take pride in Purchasing and Running a Pure All American.

Infact, It does give a Proud emotive feeling- That Indian Manufacturers and Auto Ancillaries like TATA,Mahindra,Escorts,Sona Koyo,Lumax,KBX( Kalyani Brakes), Rane Brake, Ceekay are all World Standard Manufacturing Companies...and I would prefer their products if they are world class and best for my money..!

[V-16]

The defination of Made in India has changed. In the true sense of the word one could only then buy an Ambassador or a Mahindra (not Scorpio) or a Tata car to name a few. Then again even a mercedes is assembled inIndia so is it Indian? What about an Armani shirt available in the store for 200$ with a made in india tag?

[rubin2006]

I dont feel buying indian made cars is important but some how when i think that these cars by indian maufactures also being exported and when there is something like Oil Leaking or blower not Working or a failing cooling Coil Like the case of Tata cars , i wonder who buys them and why they buy it in europe When they have beautiful cars which dont fail even after a decade in Use