1. PRESENTATION TO WORLDCOM
BY HARSH SHRIVASTAVA
COO, CENTRE FOR CIVIL SOCIET Y
SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
Understanding India’s many
business environments!

2. Making and influencing policy
 Federal country with a coalition government.
 Like Australia till last month!
 Multiple influencers of policymaking
 Executive ministries
 Courts
 Civil society organizations
 Political parties
 Media

3. States are equal players in getting things done
 29 states
 Each run by different combination of parties
 Have a lot of blocking power
 Even for items that belong to the Union Government.
 States work in a different language.
 India has fifteen official languages.

4. Getting things done with the government.
 Time is never a constraint.
 But budgets always are.
 So show how your proposals are good for the economy
and for tax revenues.
 Layers of officials who need to be courted!
 And their support staff!
 Outright gratification is not needed though!

5. Doing business with the many Indias
India has many different:
 Castes
 Ethnicities
 Languages
 Religions
 Occupations—farming is just 50 percent/workforce
--and all combine in different ways.

6. Different media to use: Print
 National media chains—English
 National media chains—Hindi
 Local English newspapers
 Local language newspapers
 Some owned by local politicians

7. Different media that can be used: Electronic
 Many news channels
 Some owned by politicians
 English, Hindi, local language
 Radio is still used
 Especially when traveling
 Mobile connectivity is rising
 But don’t put all your eggs in the social media basket.

8. Current slowdown: will continue till 2015
 India’s GDP has slowed from 9% to 5%.
 Elections next year so uncertainty remains
 Pickup in growth will only come in 2015
 But, some sectors are still doing well.

9. Business opportunities: Luxury
 Second Lamborghini dealership opened this week.
 Fancy restaurants are full.
 Luxury retail

10. Business opportunities: services
 Fitness
 Healthcare
 Education
 Schools
 Colleges

11. Business opportunities: Food
 1.25 billion eat three meals a day
 Rising wealth translating into more:
 Milk products
 Meat products
 Processed food products

12. Can India help you lower your costs?
 Track your media coverage
 In print }
 In video } Better version than Google Reader
 Online }
 Improve your online presence
 Design websites
 Do SEO
 Do social media marketing

13. Can India help you do better quality work?
 Outsource research
 Before making a pitch
 While evaluating competitors
 Our finance KPOs do this routinely
 Improve your written documents
 Better presentations
 Better reports
 Queen’s English is spoken and written well here!

14. Cultural niceties for doing business in India
 What do you wear?
 Women should not be bare-shouldered in formal meetings
 What do you eat?
 Many are vegetarian—so don’t order beef?
 What do you speak?
 Unless, asked don’t go to first names.

15. HARSH.EMAIL@GMAIL.COM
Thank you