Corporate Reputation Management in the Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities in the Indian Context

Abstract

In today’s digital world, the reputation of a company—what people think and feel about it—has become very important. A good reputation helps companies gain customer trust, attract investors, keep employees happy, and grow for a long time. In India, because of the fast growth of the internet, social media, and programs like Digital India, companies now face both chances and risks in managing their reputation. Earlier, reputation was shaped mainly by newspapers and television. Now, it can change quickly because of online reviews, viral videos, and social media posts.

This chapter explains how Indian companies manage their reputation in the digital age. It looks at two sides: internal reputation (what employees think about their workplace, culture, and social responsibility) and external reputation (what customers, media, and society think). It uses ideas such as stakeholder theory (thinking about everyone linked to the company), impression management (how companies try to look good), and image restoration theory (how companies fix their image after a problem).

This paper shows positive examples like Tata Group, Infosys, and Reliance Jio, which built strong reputations through honesty, social work, and innovation. It also looks at problems faced by Byju’s and Zomato, where customer complaints, weak governance, and social media issues harmed their image. These cases highlight how culture, society, and rules in India shape reputation.

In the end, the paper suggests ways for companies to build trust: keep checking what is said online, care for employees, do real social work, be open in governance, and prepare good plans to handle crises. The main point is that managing reputation in India is not only about advertising but also about honesty, technology, and building trust with all people connected to the company. This study will be useful for both academics and practitioners in commerce and management who want to understand the changing role of reputation in India’s digital society.