10 Tips for Doing Business in India

Indians are mostly open and friendly, and follow familiar conventions when it comes to doing business. Nevertheless, there are one or two things worth bearing in mind.

1. English will help a lot. Fourteen major and 300 minor languages are spoken in India, but the official languages are English and Hindi. Most Indians of managerial and technical levels, particularly in IT, have a good command of English, and that is the common language for conducting business. Your business card should show your details in English (present it with your right hand as the left is considered unclean).

2. In India everything takes time. However, this is certainly changing, particularly amongst IT professionals working in the Indian “Silicon Valley”, with its numerous software facilities and large number of overseas vendors. If time is an issue for you, make it clear to your Indian partner that you need to start meetings on time. And during the meeting itself, if other business is conducted simultaneously, don’t be surprised: this is normal and does not indicate a lack of interest in your discussion.

3. To greet someone, hold the palms of your hands together and say, “Namaste,” giving a slight bow. While this Hindu greeting is acceptable in all ethnic communities, a firm handshake is common amongst urban westernised Indians working for example in IT. (However, if you are male, offer your hand to an Indian businesswoman only if she does so first). Indian names can be complicated so address the person as Mr/Ms/Dr and then the last name on their business card.

4. Meetings usually start with small talk. Discussing one’s personal life is considered normal and friendly, and popular topics are cricket, politics, films and economic reforms. If you are offered refreshments, it is impolite to refuse, though you can leave them untouched.

5. Indians may seem slow to accept new ideas or proposals, but they are usually just exercising caution. Openness to something new depends in Indian business culture not only on the quality of a product or idea but on its source and endorsement. So if someone has already implemented your proposal or something similar, include these details along with referrals from your other partners or clients in India.

6. Bargaining for price or conditions is normal, so build buffers into your initial offer. High import duties and taxes may add to the cost of products.

7. Setting deadlines: all decisions will take time, particularly in bureaucratic, government-owned public-sector companies. Deadlines are not considered crucial in India; a lot depends on outside circumstances, for example religious holidays. Try to understand your partner’s capabilities.

8. Business lunches are preferred to dinners and are usually held in high-class restaurants or hotels. If you are the host, remember that many Hindus are vegetarian, others eat meat but not beef, and that Muslims don’t eat pork. Chicken, lamb, fish and vegetables should therefore be on the menu!

9. Indians like to make visitors feel welcome so you will probably be invited to “drop in” to someone’s house, “any time” (phone first, though). Don’t forget that Indians consider a direct “no” to be impolite, so always give a vague answer instead, like: “Thank you, I’ll try.”

10. If you are invited to someone’s home, arrive about 30 minutes late with a box of chocolates or sweets, or something representative of your culture, wrapped in red, yellow, green or blue paper (white and black are unlucky). Wash your hands before and after the meal, and don’t forget that traditional Indian food is eaten with the right hand. Alcohol is prohibited among Muslims, Sikhs and in many other Indian communities, though this is changing amongst urban, educated Indians. After the meal, offer to reciprocate by inviting your hosts out to dinner – maybe on your next trip over.

If you would like to know more, please call Mitul Bhavsar on +91-9825095314 or visit www.designwebgraphic.com for any outsource website designing requirement.

Share on Facebook