Why modern brands must be both the Horse and the Elephant

Time of India

10 hours ago

HighlightsBrands in the Indian market must embody the qualities of both agility and resilience, symbolized by the metaphorical hybrid 'Ashwagaja', which combines the speed of a horse with the wisdom of an elephant. Successful brands like Nykaa and BigBasket exemplify 'Ashwagaja' thinking by balancing rapid growth and innovation with a strong foundational infrastructure and long-term strategy. To thrive in India's diverse market, brands should adopt a 60:30:10 approach to their efforts—investing 60% in existing strengths, 30% in thoughtful experimentation, and 10% in bold, innovative ideas.
In the wild forests of Indian markets—where tradition jostles with tech and the consumer landscape changes by the hour—brands are facing a new survival test. It's no longer enough to be fast or wise, nimble or deep. You must be both.
Enter the '
Ashwagaja
'; a metaphorical hybrid born from the best traits of two powerful creatures. The agile, fast and intuitive horse combined with the resilient, wise and enduring elephant. The Ashwagaja is not a mythical creature. It's a mindset. In today's high-stakes game of brand-building, the winners are those that can run like a horse and remember like an elephant.
The Horse symbolizes agility, speed, and spirit. In Indian mythology, the horse (Ashwa) is a symbol of vitality, energy, and forward motion. Arjuna's divine chariot in the Mahabharata, pulled by swift steeds, represents more than battle-readiness. It embodies clarity of direction and nimbleness in chaos.
That same energy shows up in brands like BoAt, India's homegrown audio brand. BoAt entered a cluttered market, read Gen-Z's pulse with precision, and charged ahead with influencer-first
marketing
and fashion-led positioning. It pivoted fast, priced smartly, and rode the D2C wave like a stallion on open terrain. Such brands move quickly, test often, and adapt faster than traditional players. But like a racehorse, they also risk burnout if they don't have deeper grounding.
On the other hand, the Elephant (Gaja) is the epitome of wisdom, memory, and endurance. The elephant moves differently. It takes its time. It observes. And it never forgets. In our culture, elephants symbolize patience, strength, and deep intelligence —embodied so richly in our Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.
Think of Amul. The dairy cooperative that became a national brand by staying consistent, relevant, and rooted. Amul never shouts. It nudges. Its witty hoardings have mirrored every major event for decades. It is ample proof of cultural memory at work. Behind the scenes, its supply chain and farmer relationships are rock-solid. This is a brand that
grows slowly but never stops growing.
Elephants may never win sprints, but they survive every storm. Horses sprint, fast and fearless, but they rarely pause to learn where the trails truly lead.
The problem? Most brands choose one animal type and run the risk of neglecting the other. Startups often behave like horses. They are fast and flashy and eager to over-experiment. But they are also prone to exhaustion. Legacy brands behave like elephants—steady but often too slow to adapt.
The real winners? The
Ashwagajas
. Those rare brands that combine speed with staying power, intuition with insight, freshness with familiarity.
Take Nykaa. It started with the elegance of a racehorse—fast execution, influencer marketing, and category-shaping content. But its quiet strength lies in how it built long-term infrastructure: private labels, beauty education, tier 2–3 outreach, and eventually an IPO. It didn't just sprint—it prepared for the marathon. That's Ashwagaja thinking.
Or consider BigBasket. It moved quickly to dominate a tricky category—grocery—where margins are thin and consumer trust is hard-won. It offered speed and convenience like a startup, but also invested in farmer relationships, logistics, and last-mile supply chains.
While its competitors faltered or fizzled, BigBasket built strength beneath the surface. Then there's HDFC Bank—rarely seen as 'disruptive,' but in truth a masterclass in quiet Ashwagaja behaviour. It blends legacy trust with agile innovation, integrating digital experiences, fintech collaborations, and
UPI
architecture while maintaining its reputation for rock-solid compliance. It moves slowly—but when it does, it's decisive.
Marico is another excellent example. Known once for
Parachute
and
Saffola
, it has steadily transformed into a modern-day hybrid—investing in digital-first brands like Beardo, acquiring
True Elements
, and building a D2C playbook. It balances deep rural roots with an eye on contemporary consumption cues. It doesn't fear movement, but it
also doesn't abandon memory.
Finally, Razorpay. It launched like a classic startup—lean, fast, API-first. But it quickly moved beyond surface-level growth. Today, it offers full-stack solutions to SMEs, manages compliance with the rigour of a financial institution, and builds infrastructure trusted by banks and startups alike. Razorpay didn't just build for the now—it is building
for the next decade.
These brands didn't choose between agility and legacy. They layered both, over time. They sensed when to run and when to rebuild. That's what makes them Ashwagajas. So, what can we learn from the Ashwagajas within the Indian consumption jungle?
The age-old marketing truism tells us that India is a market of contradictions. But it is more than just the surface level contradictions. In reality, India is not a single race to win. It's a multi-terrain obstacle course of various lengths.
Navigating this requires what tribal communities call 'forest sense'—the ability to read the air, feel the undercurrent, and move with wisdom and agility. That's exactly what the Ashwagaja embodies.
So, if you're building a brand in today's multi-terrain India, start thinking like a Ashwagaja:
1. Marry Reflex with Reflection. Be quick to act but take time to understand. Speed
without direction leads to fatigue. Thought without action leads to irrelevance.
2. Balance the Now and the Next. Design for today's consumer needs while building
systems for tomorrow. Keep evolving your product while staying rooted in your core
values.
3. Operate on Trust, but keep up the energy. Move at a modern tempo; social, digital,
responsive. But operate with trust at your center. Keep your word. Honour your legacy.
4. Institutionalise both memory and movement: Build cultures that preserve learnings
(like an elephant) but also empower new ideas to run free (like a horse). Avoid being
trapped in either inertia or chaos.
Learn to appreciate both the thunder of the elephants and the whisper of galloping hooves.
If all this sounds rather abstract and you are in the market for a formula, apply the simple 60:30:10 to all your work.
This rule offers a powerful way to balance consistency with creativity. Invest 60% of your effort on improving what's already working. Within this, think about your core campaigns, proven messages, and reliable channels that build trust and recognition. Allocate the next 30% to thoughtful experimentation a.k.a. trying new formats, platforms, or audience
tweaks that evolve your strategy without losing your essence. And reserve the last 10% for going bold. Test unexpected ideas, stunts, or wild bets that can spark attention or cultural relevance. Together, this mix helps brands stay grounded, grow intelligently, and still surprise the world (much like an Ashwagaja brand!)
In this new age of branding, where disruption meets tradition daily, your brand must be both grounded and geared up. Run when needed. Pause when necessary. Remember what matters. Adapt when the path shifts. The Ashwagaja isn't just a creature. It is a compass for your brand and your organization.
If you want your brand to thrive in India's complex, layered jungle, ask yourself not just 'what do I run toward?' But, at the same time remind yourself on 'what must I never forget?'
(
Krishnan Subramanian heads Disruption Consulting to help challengers grow at the intersection of business, brand and culture. Views are personal.)