India’s Digital Reputation: It’s Now or Never

I never thought that India’s passport would rank anything beyond 50.

Come on, even 50 is the worst. We are the 4th biggest economy, the world’s biggest democracy, the 7th biggest nation by land, and the most populous country. Almost 17 per cent of the world’s consumers are here, in India. However, regardless of all those things, our passport has virtually no power.

India offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 59 countries worldwide. Very nice, but not really. Half of the nations that provide us free arrival are mini-Indias, like Fiji. And the rest, who cares?

I am not here to rant about the passport power, nor discuss ‘all’ the factors that affect the ranking. I am here to talk my mind. Imagine a situation where certain online communities begin to emerge with the specific purpose of sharing content that portrays Indian individuals in a negative light.

Just imagine that people have started to build online communities to shame Indians. They post videos with Indians breaking the law or engaging in prohibited things that bring a bad perception towards the Indian community and foster hatred against them. The trend could foster misunderstanding and reinforce stereotypes.

We belong to a highly interconnected world, owing to the rapid growth in digitalisation. So, our country’s image no longer depends solely on our foreign policies. The way citizens present themselves online also plays a crucial role in shaping India’s global acceptance.

In the past few months, numerous incidents have sparked negativity about Indians overseas. It has also brought a severe blow to India’s branding. This situation urgently calls for a formal digital reputation management strategy, not just for brands and organisations, but also for our national identity abroad. It will ensure that people from all across the world find it safe to visit India and give Indians visiting their nation the due respect. I hope that the government has something already in place or is in the process of implementing it.

Why is India in Urgent Need of a Digital Reputation Management Strategy?

In a digital era where a single viral tweet or video can make or break a nation’s reputation, online reputation management has become a critical component for maintaining its brand. We have over 800 million internet users; it is a force that topples any digital belief in hours. Having a reputation management approach that considers cultural diversity, consumer behavior, and the rapidly changing digital landscape can be critical.

A Few Instances Highlighting The Need For A Digital Reputation Management Strategy:

An Indian vlogger had recently made offensive remarks towards local Turkish women. This was widely condemned in Turkish and Indian media, and rightly so. It has also brought about diplomatic unrest. The so-called ‘content creator’ was later arrested. You can search the whole incident on the internet.

Over the past few years, there have been multiple videos demonstrating how Indian tourists have littered public places and shown disrespect towards the local customs.

There has been a recent case where a shoplifting video has gone viral, showing a shoplifter abroad with an Indian tag. This video received thousands of negative comments.

These recent incidents have brought about damage to India’s reputation. It has also undermined our image on a global scale, from the philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” to people (rich) from India shoplifting abroad.

India’s Digital Diplomacy

India’s digital diplomacy currently has two primary objectives. First, to ensure that India’s rise does not threaten the existing power structure and that it integrates peacefully into the international order (at least on the internet). The second objective is to position India as an attractive destination for investment by highlighting its socio-political situation and innovative, thriving markets. Often, the population is seen as a problem, but it also has its benefits. We are the world’s youngest nation with a future, unlike countries like Japan, where the average age is 50 years.

How can we position ourselves to reap the benefits of this magical arrangement on the internet? We have a genuine future with lots of customers and immense digital literacy.

Three-Pillar Strategy For India’s Digital Reputation Abroad

Following a pre-empt, respond, recover framework can be implemented by the Indian government to maintain India’s digital reputation abroad:

1. Pre-empt: Shape Behaviour Before Departure

· National “Responsible Indian Traveller” Program: Making short, culturally specific etiquette and legal briefings mandatory during passport issuance or visa facilitation.

· Digital Conduct Pledge: Making it mandatory for the outbound travellers to acknowledge a basic behaviour code.

· Targeted Diaspora Briefings: Partnering with Indian community organisations abroad to run cultural and legal orientation for new arrivals.

Offer tax rebates to individuals who demonstrate exemplary behaviour and foster a positive reputation for India.

2. Respond: Act Swiftly When Incidents Arise
It is unfortunate, but we know that there will be some Indians who will try to do everything that has been prohibited, just in the name of content creation or ‘how cool am I’. We’ve been unable to convince people to avoid spitting on roads, which is quite surprising, or not.

· Digital Reputation Command Centre (DRCC): A dedicated 24/7 team monitoring social platforms globally for mentions of India or Indians in sensitive contexts.

· Embassy Rapid Verification Protocol: Clear SOPs for fact-checking viral content, distinguishing between real misconduct and misinformation.

· Platform Escalation Agreements: Pre-negotiated channels with Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and X for urgent takedowns or context labelling when misinformation or doctored videos surface.

Digital listening becomes essential in such situations. The Indian government, which pays a hefty amount to IITs (from which students eventually run away abroad to secure lucrative packages, leading to brain drain), should consider developing an in-house tool like Sprinklr, a unified listening tool. This tool will be able to listen to mentions on the whole internet, understand patterns, report incidents, and even predict outcomes of incidents based on data and behavioural studies.

3. Recover: Balance The Narrative

· Positive Citizen Diplomacy Campaigns: Amplify stories of Indians abroad making cultural, social, and economic contributions

· Global Reputation Report: Publish an annual report showing how India is managing its citizen brand.

· Awards: Similar to the bravery awards given to citizens on 26th Jan (Republic Day), we can present a Best Citizen award.

Takeaway Thoughts

India’s image can be enhanced by having a proper digital reputation management strategy in place. The government will have to take this seriously, just as political parties do with their ORM, and have built digital armies to defend it.

The people of India will also have to take accountability for their actions. Only then can we differentiate ourselves from the masses and foster true prosperity in the country. Easier said than done, but coming Independence Day is a good place to start with. Jai Hind.