3. In General…
• Gender inequality in India.
• Members of the society tend to put high
value on males.
• High Masculinity
• Indians' marriage are usually planned by
their parents which they could only abide.
• A man is allowed to remarry or initiate
divorce, but not a woman
5. GREETINGS AND GIFTS
• Always greet the eldest or most senior
person first.
• When leaving a group, each person must be
bid farewell individually.
• Yellow, green and red are lucky colors.
6. • Hindus should not be given gifts made of
leather.
• Muslims should not be given gifts made of
pigskin or alcoholic products.
• Gifts are not opened when received.
7. DINING
• No beef, no pork, no alcohol.
• People in India generally eat with their hands
(Right).
• Start eating as soon as food arrives.
• Some food left on the plate= satisfied + had
enough food.
• No food is left = you are still hungry.
8. Take note!
• Always take off your shoes before entering the
house.
• Wait to be told where to sit.
• Dress modestly and conservatively.
• Politely turn down the first offer of tea, coffee, or
snacks. Saying no to the first invitation is part of
the protocol.
9. COMMUNICATION
Indians thinks that rejecting offers is rude and
offensive.
• Indians are highly family-oriented.
• However there are seldom handshakes between
men and woman due to religious beliefs. If you are
uncertain, wait for them to extend their hand.
12. Best time for a meeting: Late morning or
early afternoon
Ensure appointment not on
holidays/festivals
Keep schedule flexible
◦ Indians not particular about punctuality
15. Addressing
Use titles to address them
◦ E.g. “Dr Pandian, Miss Chandra”
Approach and greet the most senior figure
first.
„Getting to know you' process.
◦ Cricket, latest business news
◦ Avoid sensitive issues
16. Handshake
Short and light, not firm, handshake
Shake hands with women at their initiatives
Namaste
◦ In the absence of handshake
17. Business Card
Must exchange after the initial handshake and
greeting
Use the right hand to give and receive business
cards.
Present your business card so the recipient may
read the card
19. Negotiations
Be patient and show good character
NEVER express anger or frustration
Be polite
20. Never appear overly legalistic during
negotiations
Expect concessions in both price and
terms.
21. Criticisms and disagreements should be
expressed only with the most diplomatic
language.
Indians prefer to have long-standing personal
relationships prior to doing business
◦ Trust and respect
22. Decision-making
They use intuition, feeling and faith to
guide them.
Decisions are reached by the person
with the most authority.
Decision making is a slow process.
23. Successful negotiations are often
celebrated by a meal.
24. Workforce Norms
• Family Oriented/Filial Piety
• British Raj Cultural Trait
• High Power Distance
• Time consideration
• Consultation
25. Family Oriented
• Family takes precedence
• High-ranking positions in company
are usually taken by family members
British Raj Cultural Trait
• English is the language used in the
business world.
• Mixed with Indian dialects and Hindi
• Speakers of Indian English tend to increase
volume when they want recognition
26. Time Consideration
• Businessmen expected to be
punctual
• Buffer time must be allocated for travelling
as transport are not punctual
Consultation
• Used only in the legal, technology and
marketing industry.
• Viewed as cost inefficient
• Hired only when government provides grants
for their hire
27. High Power Distance
• Value opinion of superiors highly
• Believes that superiors are always right
• Accept decisions according to position of power
and not quality of decision
Hierarchical
• Strictly followed
29. “Need to knows” by managers...
• Negotiations are slow
• Multi-tasking
• Inductive approach
30. Who to bring?
Jane John India
Low power High power High power
distance distance distance
Low High Low
uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty
avoidance avoidance avoidance
High context Low context High context
Polychronic Monochronic Polychronic
31. Jane, age 26
Reasons:
• Low Uncertainty
Avoidance
• High Context
• Polychronic
32. Some other helpful facts….
Shaking head is a "yes" for the Indians
instead for a "no“
Do not walk over books and paper
Do not use the same hand for eating
and also for taking food from a
common dish on the dining table.
33. Homosexual relations for men are also
illegal in India ,according to Section
377 of the National Legislation.
Indians are conservative and hence
should abstain physical contact
among different gender.
Indians prefer to do business with those they know. It may be a good idea to go through a third party introduction. This gives you immediate credibility.
Indians do not base their business decisions solely on statistics, empirical data and exciting PowerPoint presentations.
