What's In A Name? India's Ruling Party Raises Bharat Debate At G20 Summit

The Indian government took the global stage by surprise this week, sending dinner invitations for the G20 summit in New Delhi bypassing the country’s internationally known moniker, India, opting instead for its ancient Sanskrit counterpart, Bharat.

For the market-watching, business-focused world, such a semantic tweak might seem inconsequential. Though, the backdrop is more complex than a nomenclature. While India is the name recognized in international boardrooms, domestically, the country also identifies as Bharat.

The change doesn’t just nod to ancient scriptures, it also carries political undertones.

Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) endorsed the shift — to them, India isn’t just a name, it's a remnant of British colonialism, a vestige of two-century-old chains of British rule. Pushkar Singh Dhami, a key BJP official, didn’t miss the chance to flaunt the revamped G20 invitation on X.

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Not everyone’s on board with the rebranding. Opposition voices such as Shashi Tharoor, while noting the constitutional freedom to use Bharat, cautioned against discarding the India brand equity, saying the name India had "incalculable brand value built up over centuries."

The timing is interesting. Amidst brewing political storms, the opposition parties announced a new alliance Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) alliance, which is intended to counter Modi’s 2024 electoral run, according to Al Jazeera. Whispers in political corridors also suggest a formal resolution favoring Bharat could emerge in a special parliament session this month.

As the G20 spotlight hits New Delhi with attendees such as U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron there, global investors and policy wonks are left mulling: Is it a strategic rebrand or a fleeting political gambit?

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