In a survey of Japanese companies' brand awareness among engineering students in India, Sony Group ranked first and Toyota Motor second. Manufacturing companies dominated the top rankings, while awareness of IT companies tended to be lower.
According to a survey conducted by Zenken from 10 to 20 April 2026 among third- and fourth-year students at engineering universities in India, a total of 1,348 respondents said they knew the names of Japanese companies. Sony Group was mentioned most frequently, at 10.3%, followed by Toyota Motor at 9.9%. Both companies began expanding overseas in the early postwar period.
The top rankings were occupied by manufacturing companies, including Sony, Toyota, Hitachi, Fujitsu and Honda Motor. Manufacturing companies accounted for most of the top 10. Against a backdrop in which the use of IT, including AI and robotics, is becoming increasingly important, manufacturing companies appear to be recognized by Indian science and engineering students as potential employers.
By contrast, awareness of Japanese companies in the IT sector that have entered the Indian market was low, with IT companies accounting for only 6.4% of the total. Rakuten Group was the highest-ranked IT company, at 4.0% overall, while SoftBank ranked ninth at 2.8%. Establishing local offices and raising awareness are considered challenges in attracting IT talent.
According to data as of October 2024 published by JETRO in March 2026, the number of Japanese companies operating in India reached 1,434, an increase of 35 from the previous year. Manufacturing companies accounted for approximately half, with transport equipment, electrical and electronic equipment, and metal products and processing among the major drivers of expansion into India.