For any company, doing business in India will take a great deal of adjustment, particularly because of the vast number of cultural differences that must be dealt with. There are hundreds of languages to master and a great many nuances stemming from the cultural and religious traditions of Hinduism, which is but one among many common religions. In order to begin doing business though, there are a few very important things to remember, most of which will work toward the goal of simply getting by without offending any potential business contacts or clients. Learning about Indian culture, as with any other culture, would take many years and a great deal of effort.
In India there are a number of cultural differences to keep in mind, especially as they relate to the day to day interactions with Indian clients and employees. For example, while in the West, it may be perfectly appropriate for someone to encourage someone to come closer by beckoning with a finger, in India this is considered to be offensive. In addition, the common practice of standing with the hands on the hips is the same and is viewed as not only rude but aggressive. Furthermore, feet are never to point toward someone since Indians believe that the feet are not clean.
With this in mind, one’s feet should never touch those of another. If gifts are given, they must never be opened in front of the person, they should be saved and opened when the person who gave it is gone. Aside from keeping in mind Hindu and Muslim diets, it should be remembered that Indians would much discuss business over lunch as opposed to an evening meal and after the meal it is important not to say “thank you” because this is insulting to the person who gave or prepared the meal. In addition to these general rules, it is necessary to always use formal titles when addressing someone from India rather than trying to be casual and friendly and using the first name.
A Hofstede analysis shows “a large power distance society and all other measures are relatively moderate. This would be indicative of the fact that India is in the midst of change. The traditional caste system has been outlawed, however the large power distance indicates that the attitudes still remain” (Hofstede 2006). With this in mind it will be necessary for the company to respect the fact that there are large divides in class. As a result, it will be important to make sure to adhere to formal titles and take great care to treat all with a great deal of respect, almost as though they were royalty. With such a degree of emphasis on class and hierarchy, overlooking this would be a fatal mistake. In short, for a company to do business in India, it would have to take into account the wide variety of differences that exist within the country, notwithstanding those differences that occur in the East/West relationship. By making certain that the utmost formality is observed in dress, speech, and general manners it can be safely assumed that this is the safest way to do business.
