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© iRikai Learning Solutions
Doing Business in India
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Training Presentation - SAMPLE
© iRikai Learning Solutions www.irikai.com
AboutiRikai (www.irikai.com) is a New Delhi, India based soft skills training firm which provides niche international business etiquette courses. This is a snapshot of our
content for the Indian business etiquette course – the course is delivered onsite (in India) and online via web
conference (anywhere in the world). The course is adapted to the audience – past audiences have ranged from expat sales staff to MDs and CEOs –
and to the purpose. Whether it is a short business trip or long term negotiations with Indian business partners, our courses can help you maximize results from your business
interactions in India
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Caveat!
Cambridge economist Joan Robinson once observed: "Whatever you can rightly say about
India, the opposite is also true.”
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Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Ground Realities
3. Context
4. Cultural Traits
5. Business Etiquette
6. Review and Application
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Let’s share our perceptions about India…
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A common scene…
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Also a common scene
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Can you guess what this is?
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What is this?
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“Traditional” housewives?
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Or rocket scientists?
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Slums?
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Or the world’s most expensive home?
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Manual labor?
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Or a 6-sigma operation?
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Indian roads…
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Also Indian roads…
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In short…
India is a land of extremes and contradictions, difficult to put in neat compartments.
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*Being Indian by Pavan Varma
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Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Ground Realities
3. Context
4. Cultural Traits
5. Business Etiquette
6. Review and Application
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Common statements…
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My Indian business partners do not seem to respect
deadlines…
Decision making in India is painfully
slow…
My team members do not apply their mind to solving problems
for the organization…
There are so many customs that we are
afraid to make embarrassing mistakes in
social settings…
My Indian colleagues do not
want to take ownership for their work…
My vendors are
unresponsive…
Everything seems random and
unpredictable…there is no “system”…
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Case Study
• Not part of this preview
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And yet…
• There is tremendous opportunity in India – we are here (other than for personal reasons) – to engage in productive business
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Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Ground Realities
3. Context
4. Cultural Traits
5. Business Etiquette
6. Review and Application
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India: A (Very) Brief History
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2500 BC: The Indus Valley Civilization develops
around Indus river and
grows into the largest of the ancient
empires
326 BC: Alexander the Great reaches
India
320 – 550 AD: Gupta
Empire. Hinduism
becomes the major religion
1526 AD: Mughal
Empire begins in India
1600 AD: Trade begins with Dutch, French and
British
1858 AD: British rule
begins
1947 AD: India gains
independence, is split into
India and Pakistan
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Physical Features of India
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Northern Mountains
Desert
Indo-Gangetic Plains
Peninsular Plateau
Coastal Plains
Islands
Maps Approximate
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Maps Approximate
Physical Features of India
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Demographics
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• Not part of this preview
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Economy
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8.6% 8.9%
6.7%
4.5% 4.7%
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
GDP Growth
• After a period of high growth, the Indian economy has slowed down in the last
3 years. Growth in 2014-15 is expected to be 5.4%-5.9%
• However, recent projections have started becoming more optimistic, with the
World Bank predicting that India will overtake China as the world’s fastest
growing big economy in 2 years
India GDP Growth
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National Politics
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• Not part of this preview
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Religion
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• Not part of this preview
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Places of Worship
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• Not part of this preview
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Religion and Food
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• Not part of this preview
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Religion and Food
• Depending on the religion, community and region, there are varying restrictions on food that people follow. The following are broad restrictions which are observed:
– Hindus: Revere cows as sacred, and therefore, do not eat beef. Also avoid pork
– Sikhs: Eating meat is a personal choice. However, beef is avoided
– Muslims: Mostly non-vegetarian diet. Pork is forbidden
– Christians: Flexible, non-vegetarian diet
– Jains: Follow a strict vegetarian diet (no eggs), diet also exclude onions and garlic
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Languages
• India has 122 major languages of which 30 languages are spoken by more than a million native speakers, and 22, including Hindi and English, are often referred to as “official” languages
• Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India
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Hindi
Gujarati Bengali
Telugu
Marathi
Tamil
Kannada
Malayalam
Oriya
Punjabi
Manipuri
Urdu
Hindi
Hindi
MizoHindi
Hindi
Hindi
Hindi
Hindi
English
AssameseEnglish
Some of the languages and the regions in which they are spoken
Maps Approximate
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Food and Cuisines
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• Not part of this preview
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Popular Snacks
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• Not part of this preview
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Indian Sweets: Mithai
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Rasgulla
Jalebi
Barfi
Laddoo
Gulabjamun
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Education
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• Not part of this preview
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Some aspects of education in India
• Disparity: Rural schools, city schools, private schools, public schools and international schools
• Employability• Pressure• Social standing• Critical thinking• Coaching centers• Language of instruction• Corporal punishment• “3 Idiots”
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Family System
• Traditionally, Indians have lived in “joint families” which can have several branches of the family living together
• The eldest male member is usually considered the head of the household
• With urbanization and mobility, joint families have given way to nuclear families – though it is still common for grown men to live with their parents even after getting married and having children
• It is very common for the entire extended family to get together for festive occasions and family events
• Family remains a very strong influence and will often come first while evaluating the impact of major life decisions
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India at crossroads…
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• Not part of this preview
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Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Ground Realities
3. Context
4. Cultural Traits
5. Business Etiquette
6. Review and Application
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Another caveat…
"The mistake one should never make is to accept the amiable Indian as a monolith. He is a most well-adjusted split personality, capable of living simultaneously and effortlessly on two mutually
opposed planes. His mind is like a chest of drawers - never a single cupboard; each drawer can be a world onto itself, and can be pulled out,
without reference to others, in response to a given situation." *
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*Being Indian by Pavan Varma
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Hierarchy
• Hierarchy plays an important part in Indian business – those in positions of authority are given utmost respect
• Orders given by superiors are expected to be followed without questioning their validity –this is also a reason for juniors hesitating to say “no”
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Flexibility
• Flexibility is essential (“adjustment”) – in daily life as well as in business
• Western notions of contracts may not hold in India, in general
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Relationships
• Where business deals are not the outcome of relationships, relationships often become the outcome of business deals – business in India can be very personal
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Respect (“Name”)
• Many people can take offense if protocol is not followed or if appropriate “respect” is not shown
• Even a light reprimand delivered in public can cause people to disengage
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Team Work
• Self-interest and survival will often precede broader interests of organizations, society and country
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Leadership
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• Not part of this preview
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Long Term vs. Short Term
• The focus in Indian business often tends to be on immediate, short term gains vs. long term, sustainable gains
• However, this can also sometimes lead to innovative solutions for complex problems (“jugaad”)
• “Jugaad” exemplifies the Indian spirit of “getting things done” irrespective of the environment
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Examples of “Jugaad”
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…To low cost inter-planetary missions
From makeshift stoves…
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Emotion
• Indians often rely on “gut feel” and emotion to make decisions as opposed to just raw data
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Punctuality
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• Not part of this preview
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Family
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• Not part of this preview
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Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Ground Realities
3. Context
4. Cultural Traits
5. Business Etiquette
6. Review and Application
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Meeting and Greeting
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• Not part of this preview
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Small-talk
• It is common for hosts to offer beverages such as tea, coffee or soft-drinks with snacks (such as biscuits) to a guest, even in business settings
• These should be accepted – it is ok to specify if you would prefer without sugar, or without milk etc.
• Small talk at the beginning of a meeting is very common and is a means to break the ice
• Topics that are normally conversed about are family, weather, sports, general work
• Avoid serious discussions during this time, including strong political views, specific business questions
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Addressing People
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• Not part of this preview
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Negotiations
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• Not part of this preview
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Accepting Invitations
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• Not part of this preview
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Giving and Receiving Gifts (1/2)
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• Not part of this preview
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Giving and Receiving Gifts (2/2)
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• Not part of this preview
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Dining Etiquette (1/4)
• Indians take hospitality very seriously and this concern for guests will show during dining
• While dining, your host will often serve you, and encourage you to try new things or take more helpings
• Allow hosts to serve you, and if you are full or would not like more, politely put your hand up in front of you, palm facing outward, with a mild “no”
• It is customary to refuse the first offer of a second helping, therefore, expect to be pushed to “take something”
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Dining Etiquette (2/4)
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• Not part of this preview
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Dining Etiquette (3/4)
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• Not part of this preview
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Dining Etiquette (4/4)
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• Not part of this preview
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Dressing
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• Not part of this preview
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Dressing for Social Events
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• Not part of this preview
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Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Ground Realities
3. Context
4. Cultural Traits
5. Business Etiquette
6. Review and Application
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Case Study
• Negotiations between an Indian manufacturer and 2 (very, very large!) Japanese steel mills
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What separated the winner and loser…
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Dimension “Winner” “Runner up”
Flexibility • Convinced top management to follow new approach urgently
• “Adjusted” on quantity• “Adjusted” on including past
orders in contract• “Adjusted” on payment delays
• Slow in convincing Japanese top management of urgency
Understanding of business etiquette
• Senior MD (Japanese) who was well versed in Indian etiquette (small talk, chai etc.)
• Relatively new MD (Japanese) with not enough exposure in Indian context
Team Composition • Not part of this preview • Not part of this preview
Use of emotion • Used 10-year relationship as emotional leverage
• Not part of this preview
Relationship • Not part of this preview • Not part of this preview
Negotiating Strategy
• Not part of this preview • Not part of this preview
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Let’s re-assess and apply
• You have an Indian boss. His boss is Japanese. You have received a call from a client who would like a proposal today. The proposal needs a senior’s approval. However, your boss is out of office. Would you go to your boss’s boss to discuss the proposal?
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Let’s re-assess and apply
• You are holding a team meeting in which every one is supposed to provide an update of their projects. One of your team members provides a less than satisfactory update. How would you provide her feedback?
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Let’s re-assess and apply
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• Not part of this preview
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• An Indian client hired your firm for an assignment. However, ever since you got hired, your contact at the client’s office has not been responding to emails and calls. If things continue like this, you will not be able to finish the client’s work on time. What could be the reasons? How would you handle the situation?
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Let’s re-assess and apply
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Let’s re-assess and apply
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• Not part of this preview
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Contact Us
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Please do not distribute this material without the written consent of iRikai Learning Solutions. This presentation is based upon publicly available sources and expert opinions. Every attempt is made to ensure the information presented is factually correct. iRikai Learning Solutions does not accept any liability due to errors contained herein.
Office: 19A GF, TDI Centre, Jasola, New Delhi 110025
Email: [email protected]
Ph: +91 9654 001 370 | +91 9873 873 006
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