Americans Doing Business in India
So you’re ready to do business in India.
Of course you are. it’s a wonderful country with loving people and a lot of them. Conducting business in India means you are now potentially targeting 1 billion people with your services and offers.
But, before getting started, you should know a few things.
Cultural Differences
Indians are family-oriented. Indian families, no matter what their financial status, always put family first. This means that your employees will call in absent if they have to tend to their parents.
In India, Everything is Personal
Though this is changing, don’t be surprised if you get asked personal and family-related questions during a business meeting. Many CEOs and founders may even call you to their own homes for business meetings. This will include meeting their family members and perhaps even dining with them. This is par for the course, in India. Trust is a big factor in all business, and the thinking goes that if you’ve met their family and shared a meal, you are less likely to do something unprofessional in the long-run.
Chai, not Coffee
I’ve personally written an article about how coffee culture in India is changing very rapidly. But most business meetings will be conducted over a cup of chai. Even if you don’t take to this sometimes spiced beverage, you don’t have to worry, because it’s served in small portions that can be washed down in three to four sips at most.
These are the very basics, there are a lot more intricacies at work. We’ll get into them slowly but surely.
