Category: Uncategorized

Is India the world’s most polite country?

India could be the world’s most polite country. Everybody says “yes”. Nobody ever says “no”. It’s amazing. You arrive on your first trade mission, seeking new markets, and every meeting is a wild success – great friendship, much laughter, the response of “yes” to everything you ask. After day one you are exhilarated – how lucky am I to meet the right people? Day two is the same – “yes”. Days three, four and five provide more “yeses”. Then you go home, report on your extraordinary success and close relations with Indians and wait for things to happen. You might wait a long time.

What is happening here? Indian culture values relationship above all else. Everyone you meet instantly has a “relationship” with you and it is their duty to help. Indians cannot say “no” without giving deep offense. The nearest they come to a “no” is “I will try”. So, “yes” they can import your product, “yes” they would be a good agent, “yes” they know how to take you to market.

Is this “yes” just telling lies? Have you been deliberately deceived? If someone did this in the west, with our cultural background, their response of “yes” would indeed be an offensive lie. But consider my experience of being lost in Colaba in southern Mumbai – I love to wander around this fabulous part of the city. Getting lost is a regular experience for me. The first time, I asked a young man if he knew the way to my hotel. He immediately instructed me – “Go straight ahead, turn right then left and you will surely find it”. How wonderful, I am saved. But 100 metres later it does not feel right and I laugh at my own foolishness. I ask another, who sends me back and he actually knows the way to my hotel. The first person simply did the very best he could in the relationship at that time.

So next time someone in India says “yes”, just remember you are in the world’s most polite country. Otherwise, like me, you might get lost.

World’s largest solar plant for Karnataka shows how India is leading the way

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According to the Press Trust of India, the world’s largest solar park has been launched in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district. Known as ‘Shakti Sthala’, the park spans 13,000 acres spread over five villages and provides major economic benefits to local farmers and communities.

The park was completed without land acquisition and in a record time of two years – farmers leased out their land and receive rental returns. The beneficiaries of this project were 2,300 Pavagada farmers.

The chief minister said Karnataka has emerged as the third largest producer of renewable energy in the nation and was taking “bold strides” towards emerging as an energy surplus state. Their goal is 20 per cent of power from renewables.

The park will create employment and act as an incentive for natives and farmers to explore new opportunities of socio-economic growth in the region.

 

Interesting to note – given the controversy in Australia about the Adani Group’s ambitious coal project – a 648-mw power project set up by the Adani Green Energy, part of the Adani Group, in Tamil Nadu in 2016 was billed as the world’s largest solar plant.

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My secret insight into Holi

On the final day of an India trip that included five cities, I spent time in Kolkata with the family of a Melbourne friend. Love that city – walk, talk, eat sweets! On the last day, we had several appointments and then I was flying home. But in that day, I discovered my very own secret of Holi.

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Having about an hour free between our appointments, we went to the wonderful Tagore museum, honouring Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher and inspiration. From the first floor window we noticed the entire museum was surrounded by university students celebrating Holi, it was a riot of colour and laughter. Holi this year was 1 and 2 March – and it is known in India as the “Festival of Colours” and marks the end of winter. People splash water and powder on each other – red, yellow, blue and green. Each color also carries a meaning. Red symbolizes love and fertility; yellow is the color of turmeric, a powder native to India and used as a natural remedy; blue represents the Hindu God Krishna; and green is for new beginnings.

Holi at heart is the joy of life in India. It is for family and friends, dancing, feasting and celebrating life as only the Indians can.

But looking down on the young university students in Kolkata, I found another secret of Holi. What a wonderful time for young men and women to flirt, and flirt they did. Covered in powder, laughing, taking photos and having a brilliant time.

If you have a chance to be in India during Holi, make sure you go. It will put the joy of India firmly in your heart.

Put “Invest India” on your radar

Looking for the how and why of investing in modern India? The government has created Invest India and their website should be something you visit regularly. It is the best window into a massive pipeline of investment opportunities.

The Invest India site highlights the economic growth story, the young population, rising domestic demand, business friendly governments and rapid infrastructure improvements as just some of the reasons to invest in India.

Is it time to review your India investment and engagement strategies? If not now, when?

http://www.investindia.gov.in/why-india

5 ways to build business with India in 2021

While Australia sees the “Asian Century” as a huge opportunity, our biggest opportunities are with the rapidly growing economy of India.

Certainly the two Prime Ministers are working hard to build close connections – India’s Narendra Modi and Australia’s Scott Morrison are building a close relationship. Business, trade and education should follow their lead.

Here are 5 steps we should take to grow our trade ties with India in 2021.

Adopt a patient long term view: It is very easy to get MOU’s (Memorandum of Understanding) signed with fanfare in India but too many do not produce any outcome. One way to improve our cultural dexterity would be to take a long term view and apply lots of patience. Businesses should not start out on market entry unless they are prepared to commit at least five years to making it work. Governments need the same longer term perspective. Rushed trade missions, political announcements and photo opportunities amount to very little – we see them as an achievement, but in reality they are just a beginning. Our business executives and even many diplomats do not build patience into their strategies.

Focus on relationships: India is not a short term transaction opportunity – to succeed there needs a longer term focus on building relationships. The first trade meeting in India can be exciting and positive, but from the India side this is just seen as an introduction and they will wait to see if the relationship grows. Even our companies and governments take too short a view when sending people to India – a two or three year stint there is just not enough. Trust and relationship take time. Others prefer to manage the India relationship from offices in Singapore or elsewhere – this is seen by the India side as evidence you are not committed to India.

See beyond the politeness: Indians are among the most courteous and generous hosts on the planet. On top of this, their culture demands that they never provide an outright rejection or “no” statement, even when for us it would be easy to just say “no”. To succeed, our businesses and governments need to dig deeper and fine the reality beyond the politeness.  The dumbest question for a business to ask in India is “can you help me with market entry for my products?” The answer will always be “yes” and you will sit idle for a long time back home until you realise this is not the right question.

Adapt to indirect communications: Like most of Asia, Indians are indirect communicators. Problems are rarely addressed directly and unless you have an ear for indirectness, you will miss the warning signs. In addition, indirect communication creates misunderstanding because the Indian side will always have to agree with whatever you may be asking. Our normally blunt Aussie style is misunderstood over there and can give offence – but you will never be told. This is a two way process – understanding they are indirect, and adopting an indirect style if we can.

Realise that language and thinking are different: One of the big problems in our relations with India is what makes it seem easy – Indians speak English. As a result, whereas our businesses and government when dealing with China, Japan or any other non-English speaking nation will have interpreters and consultants, in India the use of English creates the illusion that communication is taking place. Yet when we deal with other English speaking nations, we factor in their thinking as well – we know Americans speak English but think differently from Aussies. Our biggest mistake is assuming that Indians think like we do.

These barriers really combine two things – the importance of long term commitment to India (minimum 5 years) and cultural differences. If you think long term and study how to adapt to cultural differences, India could become your next big market.