In this rapidly evolving global village, there is an intense competition among the nation-states to position themselves as a perfect destination for tourism and investment. India, though emerging as a progressive and competitive nation in the world economy, fails to attract much attention. The simple reason being that the image of its past had an overwhelming impact on the psyche of the world audience. India's legacy of a backward nation of snake charmers and saints still rules their senses. We can't afford to continue living with this curse any more.`What are we waiting for'?

`Nation branding' is all about identifying the `true identity' of a country, developing it into the core competency by incorporating all the necessary ingredients and communicating to the target audience in a favorable way. Most of the countries have no idea how they are perceived outside their little world. The way they are perceived often varies dramatically from the reality that exists. So, we need to discover the `true essence' of a country and portray it in such a manner that the world perceives our image the way we want them to. A tremendous competition can be witnessed among the nation-states in order to position themselves as a perfect destination for tourism and investment. Globalization has put pressure on India to develop, manage and leverage its brand equity. We cannot afford to move on without a brand name. The lack of it would definitely prove to be lethal for India's aspirations to play a global role.

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