NewBase 22 April 2024 Energy News issue - 1718 by Khaled Al Awadi (AutoRe...
Doing Business In India(Ver3)
1. Doing business in India:
some reflections
& suggestions
Achal Raghavan
Strategy & Business Excellence Consultant
Bangalore, India
achalraghavan@yahoo.co.in
www.achalraghavan.com
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2. A note of caution
My views are based on my 30+ years of work
experience – in MNC’s and Indian cos.
Many generalizations – please handle with
care!
Look for this symbol: Caution:
Generalization!
2
3. Contents
Introduction
India: Vision 2020
India strategy
Strategy implementation
Understanding Indian org. culture
The Cultural Orientations Model
Some suggestions
Discussions
3
4. Introduction
Economy: Consistent growth at 6-8%
likely to be maintained
Broad policy directions unlikely to change
– regardless of which Government is in
power
A land of opportunity – but need to
understand the culture, the people and
the ecosystem
Very diverse market; generalizations are
likely to be wrong
4
5. India: Vision 2020
The vision and the journey
“Making a successful transition to the
knowledge economy – agriculture,
industry and services”
Recommended reading
India 2020: A vision for the new millenium
APJ Abdul Kalam and Y S Rajan, Penguin India
2002
India’s new opportunity 2020: Report of the
High Level Strategic Group
All India Management Association (AIMA),
with BCG
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6. India strategy
Best left to individual companies and
businesses
But just one friendly tip (next slide)
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7. India strategy: a friendly tip
Treat your India strategy like a jazz
tune, or an Indian “raga”
Caution:
Generalization!
7
8. India strategy: a friendly tip
The main strategy, or the tune, or the “raga”, is
known before you start
A lot of “improvisations” will get introduced as you
proceed
Be prepared for some latitude
Fix the “band width” within which improvisations will be
Caution:
Generalization!
allowed (by corporate)
Empower the India team within band width
Due to improvisations, the tune (the strategy) may
take longer to complete. Fix outer limit.
As in jazz, or ragas, execution discipline is
everything!
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9. Strategy implementation
The Balanced Scorecard – Kaplan and Norton
Financial
Customer
Process
People Focus area for today
9
10. Strategy implementation
Caution:
Generalization!
Maximize involvement of parent org. executives at
project stage
Short term postings by rotation (as development
assignment)
Functional “buddy system”
Ensure diversity at senior & middle levels
India is no longer a “hardship posting”
Many MNC’s in India are virtually 100% Indian
Create “two-way traffic” of people (between India
and global org.)
A great way to ensure alignment and global thinking; and
leverage Indian talent globally
Be prepared to compete for talent
10
11. Understanding Indian org. culture
Very comfortable with clear, defined
structures
Less effective in matrix organizations –
though this is changing
Seniority still matters in brick-and-mortar cos.
– though merit is beginning to win, esp. in
new/ young industries
Public “face” crucial at the individual level;
one-to-one meetings far more effective on
performance issues
Caution:
Generalization!
11
12. Understanding Indian org. culture
Tremendous capacity for hard work and
creativity – coupled with some reluctance
to use systems and processes 100%
This also is changing, with ISO and other
certifications taking hold
IT, manufacturing and pharma industries
are leading the way in systems discipline
Caution:
Generalization!
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13. Ethics and governance
Communicate company ethics policy clearly
Written documentation
Workshops
Sign-offs
Implement consistently
Provide “secure-but-open” communication
channel and process for raising and
resolving issues
Show visible top management commitment
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14. Customer perspective
Indian customers globally aware, and very
value conscious
“Solutions” the only way to get out of price wars /
discount spirals
No time lag in rolling out global technologies
in India- “Give me the latest”
“Design from scratch for India market” –
often needed; can then become a solution for
Asian / global markets
Caution:
Generalization!
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15. The Cultural Orientations Model*
Thinking Environment
Structure
Time
Competitiv- Action
Cultural
eness
orientation
Individualism
Communi-
cation
Power Space
*from Danielle Walker, Thomas Walker and Joerg Schmitz- “Doing Business Internationally” 15
16. Indians: The Cultural Orientations
Model* Caution:
Generalization!
Non linear, Thinking Environment
multi-layer
Harmony, constraint
(not control)
Control, hierarchy
Structure Time
Multi-focus, fixed/fluid,
Competitive past/future
Competitiv- Action
Cultural
eness
orientations
Work, relationship
Individualist, Formal, indirect, “face”,
bend the rules active silence
Individualism
Communi-
cation
Hierarchy, Power Space Private, public
not equality
*from Danielle Walker, Thomas Walker and Joerg Schmitz- “Doing Business Internationally” 16
17. Some suggestions for
effectiveness in India
India = 25+ cultures and nations
Build relationships, not just deals
Recognize hierarchy
Be flexible; expect non-linearity
Task orientation follows (and
flows from) people orientation
Play for the long term
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