As Republic Day approaches, the conversation around Made in India is undergoing a quiet but significant shift. Once centred on manufacturing location and national pride, the phrase is now being re-examined through a more nuanced lens – one that values intent, depth, and long-term value creation as much as origin. In 2026, Made in India is no longer a stamp; it is a signal of how thoughtfully a business is built.
Across sectors like activewear, beauty, and wellness, Indian brands are moving away from borrowed frameworks and toward original problem-solving rooted in local realities. What’s emerging is a new definition where credibility is earned through research, accountability, and systems built to last.
From Execution To Ownership
“A decade ago when we started TEGO, we designed
for Indian conditions – humidity, body types, training patterns of everyday athletes,” says Krishna Chandak, Co-Founder of Tego. Manufacturing, however, told a different story. “Manufacturing remained largely offshore because local partners struggled to deliver the consistency that premium consumers expected at the time,” he added.
That equation has since changed. Chandak points to a shift driven not by policy, but by people. “The catalyst was consumer behaviour change at scale,” he explains. As premium Indian consumers matured, the willingness to pay became directly linked to performance and reliability, forcing supply chains to evolve.
Facilities that once focused on execution alone began investing in quality systems, co-developing solutions, and owning capabilities. “Manufacturing shifted from contract fulfillment to capability ownership,” Chandak says.
Indian Brands, Built End-To-End
For Saloni Anand, Co-Founder of Traya, this evolution represents a bigger structural change. “By 2026, ‘Made in India’ has evolved from a simple origin label into a marker of intent, depth, and long-term value creation,” she says.
Indian brands today are increasingly built end-to-end – from research and formulation to sourcing, manufacturing, and consumer insight. “This new generation of brands focuses on problem-solving, not just product selling,” Anand explains. The emphasis has shifted to in-house R&D, formulations designed for Indian biology and climate, and tighter feedback loops between science, manufacturing, and outcomes.
She cites Traya’s integrative hair loss model as an example. “Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all product, Traya is built on a root-cause approach,” combining Ayurveda, dermatology, and nutrition with diagnostics and outcome tracking – homegrown in philosophy, global in standards.
Solving Indian Problems, The Indian Way
For Supriya Malik, Founder of Indulgeo Essentials, the true test of Made in India lies in intent, not geography. “The true measure isn’t where a product is manufactured. It’s whether it was conceived, researched, and built to solve Indian problems with Indian insights.”
Her journey began with a gap she saw firsthand: consumers choosing between overpriced global brands and local products lacking efficacy. “The solution wasn’t importing formulas. It was solving uniquely Indian problems with Indian expertise,” she says.
Indulgeo’s focus on Indian skin types, climate stressors, and indigenous botanicals reflects a broader shift Malik describes as India’s new entrepreneurial DNA. “We’re not contract manufacturing someone else’s vision. We’re creating original solutions rooted in deep consumer understanding and accountability.”
The New Meaning Of ‘Made In India’
Across voices and sectors, a common theme emerges: trust is no longer built through labels, but through systems. As Chandak notes, “Made in India in 2026 reflects an ecosystem that has earned trust through depth, accountability, and best-in-class standards.”
This Republic Day, Made in India stands not just for where something is produced – but for how thoughtfully it is imagined, built, and sustained.
In 2026, the most compelling Indian brands are not chasing optics or shortcuts. They are investing in ownership, research, and long-term relevance. As the country marks another Republic Day, Made in India has evolved into something more enduring – a promise of intent, integrity, and value built to last.
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