What is a brand, and why is it important? A brand is a way, a company, organization, or individual is perceived by those who experience it. More than simply a name, term, design, or symbol, a brand is the recognizable feeling a product or business evokes. Looking out into the world today, it's easy to see why brands are more important now than at any time in the past 100 years. Brands are psychology and science brought together as a promise mark as opposed to a trademark. Products have life cycles, but brands outlive products. Brands convey a uniform quality, credibility and experience. The value of a brand in the current era is so high that companies nowadays have started putting their brand value on their balance sheet. The key cutter to clutter of choices, branding holds the capability of dovetailing a customer's heart & mind with brand presence. When done perfectly, these brands own the potential of creating aesthetic symphony between servicing and customer experience.

Branding is a concept that was started in the early 1200s. By definition, it is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. It helps to identify a product and distinguish it from other products and services. With the passing of time, branding has travelled across the globe on industrial revolution wheels and has transformed from unique selling proposition to emotional selling proposition, activating customer's brand loyalty and emotional connect for attention, trust, credibility and long-term sustenance. Branding is important because not only is it what makes a memorable impression on consumers but it allows your customers and clients to know what to expect from your company. Giving a rigid structure to your brand is a way of distinguishing yourself from the competitors and clarifying what it is that you offer and that makes you the better choice. Your brand is built to be a true representation of who you are as a business, and how you wish to be perceived.

Tracking the growth bar of the maestros of their respective fields, from ground level to evolving into amazing brands, siliconindia brings to you the `Brand of the Year ­ 2020' issue, casting spotlight on some of the most propitious brands who have exhibited utmost excellence in the industry with their steadfast capabilities and rich expertise. An expert panel encompassing the industry leaders along with siliconindia Editorial Board has performed a diligent evaluation of the industry before listing the front-runners. The listed pioneers have crowd-pulled attention from ordinary build-out to extraordinary success through master strokes of exemplary, customer-oriented servicing. These brands will possibly contribute through building a reputation of 'respectability, responsibility, ethical practices and quality' for the Indian product landscape.