HOW INDIA'S HERITAGE BRANDS ARE WINNING GEN Z

Legacy brands must harmonize their presence across digital and physical touchpoints, ensuring consistency in brand voice, product availability, pricing, and service.

- VAISHNAVI GUPTA

India’s heritage-driven brands are today finding themselves at the crossroads of legacy and innovation. Leaders from some of India’s most iconic traditional brands—N. Ranga Rao & Sons (Cycle Pure Agarbathies), Mysore Saree Udyog, Nalli Group, Anand Sweets, and industry consultants from Helicon Consulting discussed how deeply rooted cultural businesses are evolving with changing buying behaviors, digitization, and consumer discovery patterns. Their insights reveal a profound narrative of continuity, where traditions endure even as the channels and tools around them transform radically.

Anchoring to Rituals in a Modern World

For Arjun Ranga, CEO of N. Ranga Rao & Sons, the maker of Cycle Pure Agarbathies, the core purpose of the product— facilitating prayer and spiritual rituals—has not changed. “People use our product to pray to God. And I think God has kind of remained constant for the last, I think, 10,000 years,” Ranga quips, highlighting the timeless relevance of incense sticks in Indian households.
While the usage pattern has stayed largely consistent, the consumer journey has dramatically transformed. “Earlier, the influencer was the Pujari. Today, it’s someone on Instagram recommending your product,” says Ranga, drawing attention to how the influencer ecosystem has taken over from traditional gatekeepers of trust.
The transaction, in essence, is spiritual—a deeply personal moment between the consumer and their deity. “We just need to be present at that moment." Ranga explains.