Haagen-Dazs Not Allowed in India

Here's my response to that despicable ad, apart from giving Baskin-Robbins my patronage.

Weird ad! To me, it does not make any sense whatsoever why the store put up such conditions. Who in their right mind would want to debar a large chunk of possible customers and give the debarred customers a motive to feel insulted? Unless they Sado-masochistically wanted to commit business suicide, which I think they have already done. Crazy.

Cheers,
Ayan

I would definately urge everyone to boycott Haagen-Dazs. This is such a big insult! You come to my country and treat me badly. Oh no you don't. It might be something I'd overlook in the US, but not here pal.

Here is a generic stereotyping comment, which can be used as a rule:

"Most Businesspersons are inherently assholes and the less we give control of our lives to them, the better it is."

Most screw us, when we are looking somewhere else. Some fools like this get caught once in a while.

Businesspersons have created half of world's problems right now. Look around and think...

HOW DARE a foreign company go to India then deny people of that very country entrance. That is way worse than even barring Indians in another country, or Indians catering to foreigners and denying their own people (which is bad enough)... but this is like freakish imperialism on steroids!

Haagen Dazs should be thrown out on their arse and told never to return again. Ever. Or its subsidiaries. Indians and their companies have a lot of spending power. Let them show that power against this kind of virulent racism.

Here is a real story:

CEO of an American company went to visit India with one of his male personal secretaries. The CEO was an Indian Sikh, while the personal secretary was a white guy.

As he entered into any hotel, restaurant or banquet, he noticed the guards at the door making special effort to open door for his white personal secretary, while completely ignoring him.
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The social conditioning takes ages to wear off.
Sometimes, one needs to hit hard, may be very hard ruthlessly.

Its pointless to analyze or understand motives because there are not any.

dee:

this is a prime example of social media going berserk with righteous indignation

if any foreign company comes to india...it comes with the full intention of doing business with indians

i have a feeling that in this tea cup storm... the local franchisee or owner or manager was in the wrong...even if he advertised only the preview for foreigners...and he should have apologised rather than try to cover up

the knee jerk reaction is a minor hiccup

I always preferred Ben & Jerry!

temporal... maybe, but usually things that franchises do are rigorously controlled by corporate headquarters... I would be willing to bet that HD knew about this.... and it is crappy.

Preview only for foriegners? Why only them? If that doesn't stink of slave mentality what does? And it is a bloody foriegn brand not some native Indian dish that they need to tout to tourists and even then its not accepted. Discrimination is unacceptable.
An apology and free ice cream won't do it. Boycott them and throw them out Gandhi style.

And the fellow who took the snap was a international passport holder and he wasn't allowed in since he is of Indian skin. So basically if Indians weren't allowed in I don't see why we Indians should allow them to sell in our country.

Though it clearly seems to be a publicity stunt, nevertheless being an Indian, it is neither expected and nor will be accepted by the countrymen!
This kind of an act (or shall i call it a nasty publicity stunt) calls for a punishment..
And the justice would be to snatch the license and show them the way to the airport!
PLEDGE not to visit Haagen Dazs in any part of the world..

I agree with every one of the "Indians" posting their comments and opinons on this article. But to be very frank this incident highlights the illussion in which the Indian Society is living. Late Friday Night or not so Late Friday Night..many people, supposedly Indians must have walked past that store that evening and only one responded, resulting in this effort of ours. Yeah, Yeah i know that we are a conservative society, we avoid conflicts and problems...we believe in live and let live...principles....I just want to ask one fair question... Are we hypocrites? I will not turn around when i see a HD again, given a chance i will be having an ice cream sitting in the same shop, i will read and write this, and forget about it..what next. Media has a job at hand, and that job is to educate and not agitate people or for that matter "Indians". I support the initiative..you say boycott HD, i will never go there. But this thing is a way to small to show our frustration or agitation towards others or society at large.
In all fairness i would not be in a position to comment on what is right or the wrong thing to do, but i want to say that if this had been an Indian compnany in the US..it would have been for sure something more than just an internet blog.

this is a very sad state, that regardless of so much of hatred around the store is still functioning full throttle in one of the poshest malls of our capital. hasnt the word been spread across to the guardians of law or do we need to shout out loud to make those dogs shut their india operations, get neutered and thrown across to the country where they belong.. Jai Hind

Leaving this controversy aside, I don't know what's the big deal with foreign brand ice creams.

Our own brands like Vadilal, Qwality Walls or Nirula's serve excellent ice cream.

In fact the pista flavour of Indian ice creams tastes far better than anything Baskin Robbins or Haagen Dazs could ever come up with.

No wonder even many Indians in the US flock to desi stores to buy their pista/kesar pista/tutti fruity or litchi ice creams. There's nothing to beat them.

If you want to boycott Haagen Dazs, it is a good opportunity to turn back to Indian brands and forgo the average and over-priced Baskin Robbins.

There is also a sort of discrimination against Indian brands in airports. Inside any Indian airport, you cannot get any Indian brand chocolate even though there are excellent ones by Cadburys and Amul. The only ones those shops have are brands like Lindt's or Hersheys which cost at least twice as much as Indian ones. And I am talking about domestic terminals.

This is a national disgrace! What's the civil aviation ministry doing about this?

Seems to be like former South Africa
I was not allowed to visit the white beaches at East London and worked at the black hospitals only.
Delhi it seems is getting into somewhat like that where international mafia are controlling the South Delhi that includes properties, businesses etc.

Ledz... Cadbury is british, dear. and while BR is mediocre, Haagen Dasz is actually extraordinarily delicious ice cream, and makes Qwality Walls seem a silly joke. Now, if you had mentioned the local ice cream shops, esp the place I visited in Hyderabad once that made fresh sitafal ice cream, and mango, and.... OMG! Now that beats HD any day, hands down. But Qwality Walls? HAHAHHAHA.

Still, throw HD out on its arse regardless.

I know that Cadbury's is British.. but it has been around for ages and considered Indian while BR is a new entrant.

Generally speaking, ice creams and chocos from Europe are better than anything from the US.

Haagen dazs is an American company, Ledz. Please do your homework! Also, while Cadburys is now manufactured in India, the recipies and formulations are still European. Dunno what the point of your last comment was, but who really cares? lets stay on topic.

I remember the first time I saw Haagen Dazs in the Bronx 40 years ago. Oh I was so impressed! Real Danish ice cream!!

Yeah, sure. My room-mate looked carefully at the label (he was big on keeping kosher - in those days I was not) and found that the only thing "Danish" about Haagen Dazs was the stink of the lies it tried to purvey. It was made by a company in the Bronx!!

So, reading this article about Haagen Dazs didn't surprise me one bit. The false imagery is pathetic....

who's going to learn a moral lesson from upper class indians who can afford ice-cream to begin with, considering the way most of you treat people deemed "untouchables"?

don't you think there are more important causes to organize for if you want to show the world that indians actually care about bigotry?

Why am I not surprised that this marketing gimmick has a desi hand behind it?

Anyhoo, ice Creams are better in NA. I find Indian brands too sweet for my taste buds(same with Haagan Daaz).

However, my Italian friends scoff at Amreekan icecreams. For them its a joke in comparison to their gelatos(which I have never tried).

SS, nowhere did I mention or imply that Haagen Dazs is European. Just picking on me for the sake of it, right?

It is a bad business decision someone made without thinking. And they will lose some business for it. Don't buy their ice cream period. But why would you call MPs for that? If you feel it is illegal call a police.

Some one goofed and he is most likely sorry for that whether in the head office or here at home. I don't think it deseves that much attention. So what is a big deal?

Ledz, nope... just thought you were implying that HD was european. sorry if I misinterpreted.

Rani... sorry, but I am of italian origin with a huge chunk of my family still in Italy... we don't laugh at American ice cream... it is simply a different animal from gelato. (although if I am pressed I would prefer gelato any day)

Well, the only ways to deal with such kind of people who are hell bent on discriminating against Indians in India
1. Initiate a legal case of discrimination and human rights violation. ( They might apologise and escape)
2. Send them a note and they shall ignore ( and escape)
3. Launch a Shiv Sena or Bajrang Dal kind of agitation against Haagen Dazs. After all far-right parties have a role in civil society and democracy as they check elements like Haagen Dazs in check.
4. Follow a Gandhian Approach and Boycott Haagen Dazs. But it shall serve no purpose as Indians do marry in Western Suits.

ONLY A VERY GOOD ACTION AGAINST HAAGEN DAZS SHALL BRING FORTH THE NECESSARY REACTION FROM THEM.

They can not be pardoned as they have a team of experienced consultants, business managers and a professional team with global vision. It is high time for them to have an eye surgery to remove the cataract.

I second Temp's notion. Full essay coming.

Deepti,

There seems to be a serious factual discrepancy in your post. You have written in the post-
"The individual who took the photograph and holds an international passport was also not allowed in since he was an Indian."

But in the blog that you have linked, this is what is said-
"I immediately called Ramit. “You are an international traveler, and you have a passport, so you can go in�, I said. Ramit’s response was instant: I tried to enter but they said you are not allowed for you don’t have an international passport."

Now, it is clear that the guy Ramit did NOT have an international passport at that time. Which is sort of expected because no Indian will carry his/her passport around unnecessarily while in India.

A case for racism is weak here, since had he had his foreign passport, he might have been allowed in irrespective of his skin colour. It will be very difficult to prove a case of racism here. Although it is seriously a case of elitism.

you indians know elitism better than anyone...look at the way you treat each other.

No Indians allowed; Haagen Dazs says wrong choice of words
Reshmi R Dasgupta, ET Bureau 17 December 2009, 11:19am IST
NEW DELHI: Ice cream major Haagen-Dazs probably did not realise that a sign that was meant to tempt the Capital’s crème de la crème to its

Wrong choice of words premium ‘international-quality’ ice-creams would instead land it in hot water.

A day before the US brand opened its first outlet in a south Delhi mall, it put up signboards around the area for a “preview for international travellers� with the telling rider, ‘Entry restricted only to holders of international passports’.

An Indian who saw the sign and was turned away from the store â€" only because of lack of space due to weekend rush, according to Haagen-Dazs â€" took a photograph. He e-mailed it to a Times of India blogger; within minutes it had gone around the globe ( Sorry, Indians not allowed ), inciting a hail of protests that left the company red-faced.

“An error was made in the creative execution,� Anindo Mukherji, MD of General Mills India, which markets the brand here, said, adding more precisely: “It was a wrong choice of words, and we regret the error.�
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-Indians-allowed-Haagen-Dazs-says-wrong-choice-of-words/articleshow/5346805.cms

No one turns anyone way. People are told there is a waiting period. One can smell horse shit miles away.

Rajesh Kalra- "I immediately called Ramit. “You are an international traveler, and you have a passport, so you can go in�, I said. Ramit’s response was instant: I tried to enter but they said you are not allowed for you don’t have an international passport."

This conversation says otherwise. Even the Indian passport is an 'international passport'. Jackasses wanted non Indian passport holders?

How deep are they digging their graves here?

Ledzius, An individual holding an indian passport was not allowed in. That is racism. Elitism would be if he was a rich man's driver stepping in with his family to have an ice cream but then being turned away

Discriminating people based on what passport they hold is not racism. Discriminating them on the basis of their skin colour is.

I am sure that HD would have allowed in anyone with a US passport, whether they are white/black/East Asian/Hispanic or even Indian. So you cannot claim it is racism.

A lot of Indian companies including banks offer special services to NRIs and foreigners. While there is no reason for an ice-cream parlour to do so, it clearly is not in the same league as the 'Dogs and Indians not allowed' kind of racism.

Moreover it appears that this policy was implemented by the Indian franchisee without the knowledge of the parent company.

I dont see it that way. My identification as an Indian in the international arena is known by my Passport and not by my skin colour alone. To deny me entry into a place in my own country because I don't hold a non Indian passport does reek of racism.

And I find it hard to believe HD didnt know what was going on

I dont see it that way. My identification as an Indian in the international arena is known by my Passport and not by my skin colour alone. To deny me entry in a place in my own country because I don't hold a non Indian passport does reek of racism.


And I find it hard to believe HD didnt know what was going on.

If Passports are being used as a criteria, then even Indian govt is guilty of discrimination. Just because one holds foriegn passport her/she is assumed to be a moneybag and shellout a significantly higher fee when visiting national monuments. Most Indians agree this is wrong.

Its that perverse thinking we know pretty well that foreigners can afford to pay since its pittance for them when converted but Indians cannot pay the same amount. Its a sad reflection on all of us due to the continued slave mentality of some.

On the contrary, foreign passports are not always western passports. What happens to the Burundi citizen?

IMO, even a German citizen should pay the same price as Indian citizen, especially since we claim to be a culture that prides itself in respecting its guests.

College tuitions and the like I understand. But not in matters like tickets, ice creams etc.

The Discrimination in entry fee of monuments in India is a different story:

The Indian Govt's tourism industry's marketing policy is actually flawed in its design regarding the entry fees difference between Indians and foreigners.

Its the perception that matters.

Entry Fee to Konark is about Rs.5 for Indians and about Rs.100 to Rs.200(am not sure) for foreigners.

Now, we can not tell our Government to charge Rs.5/- (that is 12 cents) to Americans or Europeans to visit Konark.

Its a bad design in marketing.

Government should make entry price of Konark...say Rs.200 and Taj may be Rs.700. That is, USD 4.5 and USD 15 respectively.

Over that, Indian Govt should give heavy discount to Indian citizens and some discount to citizens from those countries, who give free Visa on arrival for Indian citizens.

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The Chinese charge 60 Yuans each for certain portions of great wall and also forbidden city. That is, Rs.500/ to visit each of these places.

Sumanth:

""""...and some discount to citizens from those countries, who give free Visa on arrival for Indian citizens.""""

Sensible idea.

Another article worth reading on this issue that does not absolve the mother company -

http://oh-my-india.posterous.com/haagen-dazs-ice-cream-or-creaming-the-india-h#

Aren't most foreign companies like Olay ones who bring in this fairness cream bullshit?

Enough said.

Sumanth: Dude, STFU. It seems you want foreigners in India to abuse the system and Indians.