A quick guide to doing business in India

THE “INTO INDIA” QUICK GUIDE TO INDIAN BUSINESS CULTURE

  • While India is one country, there are many Indias within India. India is a multilingual, multi-ethnic and pluralistic society, and vast cultural differences can be seen between North and South India.
  • You might need multiple “market entry strategies” to succeed with these “many Indias”.
  • But beware of generalisations and “expert” advice (including mine!) – it has been said that: “Whatever you can rightly say about India, the opposite is also true.”
  • English is the official language of business.
  • Be prepared for meetings to start and finish late and for interruptions to occur on a regular basis. If you can adapt to interruptions (in almost every activity) then you will have fun and enjoy India.
  • Learn the art of “going with the flow” – avoid filling your whole day with appointments, be flexible, be curious, take in the sights and sounds of this wonderful country and your hosts will be aware of how much you enjoy it.
  • You will no doubt be surprised by how formal and hierarchical is the relationship between managers and staff in India.
  • Indians place great value on relationships: take the time to develop contacts and relationships.
  • “Being there” is a big part of making it in India.
  • One last “generalisation” – India is young, confident, fast and energetic – you need to be all these things too!
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Author: Stephen Manallack

Former President, Australia India Business Council, Victoria and Author, You Can Communicate; Riding the Elephant; Soft Skills for a Flat World (published by Tata McGraw-Hill INDIA); Communicating Your Personal Brand. Director, EastWest Academy Pty Ltd and Trainer/Speaker/Mentor in Leadership, Communication and Cross Cultural Communication. Passionate campaigner for closer western relations with India. Stephen Manallack is a specialist on “Doing Business with India” and advisor/trainer on “Cross-Cultural Understanding”. He is a Director of EastWest Academy Pty Ltd which provides strategic advice and counsel regarding business relations with India. A regular speaker in India on leadership and global communication, his most recent speaking tour included a speech to students of the elite Indian university, Amity University, in Noida. He also spoke at a major Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) global summit, the PR Consultants Association of India in Delhi, the Symbiosis University in Pune and Cross-Cultural Training for Sundaram Business Services in Chennai. He has visited India on business missions on 10 occasions and led three major trade missions there. He provides cross-cultural training – Asia and the west.

One thought on “A quick guide to doing business in India”

  1. Doing Business in India

    India boasts the world’s seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP and is projected to maintain robust growth in the coming years. With a burgeoning middle class, increasing disposable income, and a young demographic, the country offers immense potential across various sectors including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and consumer goods.

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