Brands
ShopClues signs MoU with KOTRA to get authentic Korean products to India
MUMBAI: ShopClues and Momoe Technologies (part of Clues Network) have entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), reinforcing its commitment to making available authentic and premium Korean products on its online platform.
As part of the MoU, KOTRA will identify outstanding Korean enterprises and support their entry into the Indian retail market with the help of ShopClues. In turn, ShopClues will offer an exclusive category called K-Avenue dedicated to Korean products on its website. ShopClues will also hold promotional events with the help of KOTRA while also encouraging Indian vendors to import and sell Korean items on its platform.
“We expect that the advent of Singapore’s Qoo10 into India through Shopclues and Momoe will be a turning point in bringing both premium Korean goods into the Indian market, and Indian products to Korea’s customers,” said KOTRA South Asia Regional Head Office director General Moon Young Kim.
“As Korea’s sole National Trade and Investment Promotion Agency operating in 130 overseas branch offices, including 6 in India, KOTRA will support mutually beneficial activities in both countries. Any Indian company that wishes to be connected with Korean counterparts and products can contact us for our utmost assistance,” he added.
Momoe Technologies, as a part of the MOU, will look into the setting up of logistics centres in major Indian cities and offer logistics services including transportation and customs clearance, to ensure a seamless supply chain. Qoo10-owned logistics company Qxpress will also support the venture by offering competitive international shipping rates to Korean exporters.
By cushioning the heavy resources required of most enterprises looking to enter a new market, the effects of this MoU are expected to enable a smoother entry for Korean brands in India. Additionally, it will provide freer access to a wider variety of Korean products for Indian consumers to choose from.
“This MoU is a win-win for all parties involved, but especially for our Indian customers who will now have access to some of the best and most diverse range of products manufactured by outstanding Korean enterprises. We also see this as a huge opportunity to be able to bring India’s beautiful products to the booming Korean market,” said Shopclues.com co-founder and CEO Sanjay Sethi.
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
