Digital Narratives, Cultural Identity and Sustainable Agribusiness: A Conceptual Comparative Literature Review of Vietnam and India
Trần Thị Vân Dung and Nayan Deep Singh Kanwal
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Abstract:
Purpose: Digital transformation is reshaping Asian agribusiness by changing how agricultural products, sustainability practices and cultural values are communicated to consumers and markets. This paper examines digital communication not merely as a marketing instrument but as a social space in which trust, cultural identity and sustainable value are constructed and negotiated. It comparatively reviews the relationship between digital communication, cultural identity and sustainable agribusiness in Vietnam and India. Methodology: The study adopts a conceptual comparative literature review and thematic analysis of scholarly and institutional literature concerning digital agriculture, agribusiness communication, cultural identity, sustainability, entrepreneurship and rural development in Vietnam and India. The analysis is organised around cultural resources, digital narrative construction, socio-economic value creation and sustainable development outcomes. Findings: The review identifies a broad similarity between the two countries: both possess rich agricultural and cultural heritage and increasingly use digital platforms and narrative strategies to communicate sustainable values. The literature nevertheless suggests differences in dominant narrative tendencies. Vietnamese examples more frequently emphasise local ecological characteristics, regional heritage, place-based identity and community relationships, whereas India’s highly diverse linguistic, cultural and religious environment encourages communication across multiple cultural registers and scales. These differences are not treated as fixed national characteristics. Rather, they illustrate how cultural and institutional contexts shape digital agribusiness communication. The analysis further indicates that culturally grounded digital narratives can connect product identity with agribusiness value creation, entrepreneurship, market access and consumer trust, with possible implications for rural development and community participation. Implications: The paper develops a conceptual framework in which digital communication functions as a socio-economic mechanism linking cultural identity with sustainable agribusiness outcomes. It argues that cultural narratives create development value only when they remain credible, participatory and connected to substantive sustainability practices. The framework offers a practical reference for enterprises developing cross-cultural communication strategies while highlighting the risks of cultural commodification and unequal distribution of value.
Keywords:
Agribusiness; Cultural Identity; Digital Communication; Entrepreneurship; India; Sustainable Development; Vietnam
Citation: Trần Thị Vân Dung and Nayan Deep Singh Kanwal (2026). Digital Narratives, Cultural Identity and Sustainable Agribusiness: A Conceptual Comparative Literature Review of Vietnam and India. Horizon J. Hum. Soc. Sci. Res. 8 (S), 6–19. https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2026.v8.nS.id1390.p6
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