Business Culture

in India

Joseph Anbarasu, Visiting

Scholar, Department of
Finance, Banking and Insurance

Conquer a man who never gives by gifts;
subdue untruthful men by truthfulness;
vanquish an angry man by gentleness; and
overcome the evil man by goodness

The most beautiful things in the universe are
the starry heavens above us and the feeling
of duty within us

You can often find in rivers what you cannot
find in oceans

Defining the traditional values, emerging
modern business and personal practices in
India

Coping with prevailing cultural restrictions
and weaknesses of modern Indian business
and

Incorporating those things in your agenda to
be a successful business person in India

A workday is from 9 am to 5 pm

Inter-business matters are dealt from 11 am to 4
pm

The workweek is six days long, with Sundays off

Some organization may have two days off
including Saturday

Punctuality is appreciated, not strictly adhered to.

Better to keep your schedule enough for last-
minute tinkering

Delays are universal phenomena in India, rampant
in Government departments

Your planning should accommodate all these
things when you want to do business in India

Hierarchy – to be respected

Protocol, manners, and
obligations are differing
based on your position in
the hierarchy

The chain of command is
often strictly enforced.

Call your superiors “Sir”,
“Madam”, or Ji, you cannot
use their name at any point
of time.

First approach the senior-
most person in an
organization, even though
you are delegated the work
requested

Employees rise each
time the boss enters
the room

My boss is always right
attitude.

You have no role in
negotiations as a
subordinate.

Call your superiors
“Sir”, “Madam”, or Ji,
you cannot use their
name at any point of
time.
‘Namaste' – North India

An act of act of genuflection
in some countries

Shaking hands gains
momentum now

To mark respect, you may
also suffix 'ji' to the name of a
person.

“Vanakkam”, Vanthanam,
Namaskar, Salam Alekum –
South India.

beginning of a name the
word "Sri" or "Shri" for men
and "Srimati" or "Shrimati"
for women.

Not advisable to
handshake, an
unfriendly or
overfriendly attitude

Nod or smile

Don’t look at her eyes

Seek permission
before leaving

In a group, greet first
the eldest one in the
crowd

Indians take their time
to pronounce their
decisions.

Impatience is viewed
as discourteous.

Don't persuade him to
do things faster

Do not decline any
food, drink or
appetizer offered.

To please an Indian
counterpart, discuss about
family and friends

Politics, Cricket and Movies
are best bets

Foreign businesswoman to
cope with deep-rooted
traditionalism

Woman never invites her
male counterpart for
Dinner in India. Lunch
better

Pay the lunch bill, if
required.

Pants and Shirts for Men

kurta and pajama is
appropriate for cultural
ceremonies

Wear a lightweight suit for
a more formal look,
especially during winters

Leather Cloths must be
avoided

Preferable attire for
women is Sari or Salwar

Short skirts and Sleeveless
blouse to be avoided

Don't present liquors
as gifts to a Muslim or
a Sikh

Flower is better bet

Offer the gift with both
hands with a polite and
warm smile

Don't start unwrapping
it in public

The younger and older generation
alike prefer buying stuff from huge
malls where one not only get
variety, but quality too at moderate
prices.

Organized retail growing at
estimated 25% .

whooping Rs. 1,31,804 crore has
been invested in organized
retailing in last 6 months alone.
(Assocham)

Companies like Reliance Retail have
set aside Rs24,000 crore for setting
up hyper marts by 2010-11 in
National Capital Region; Spencer
retail announced capex of Rs3000
crore for expanding its retail outlet
and setting up hyper marts by 2010

India's fast-food industry is growing
by 40 percent a year

a billion dollars in sales. Meanwhile,
a quarter of India's population
remains under-nourished—a
number virtually unchanged over
the past decade.

A growing number of US food and
beverage companies are taking
advantage of the Indian
government's new policy on foreign
investments by opening branches in
the country. These companies,
which include McDonald's Corp.,
Pizza Hut Inc. and Kellogg USA Inc.,
consider India as a highly-profitable
market despite the country's
distinct culture.
Indian food and drink

http://www.foodguideindia.com/
To business travel:

www.anythingindian.com

www.allindia.com

www.lonelyplanet.com