Business Culture in India: How to do Business in the Sub-Continent
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By Matt Mathew
Stylus Systems Article©

Prologue
This is a series of observations experienced and gleaned by Joe & Jesse (not their real names) of the USA who came to India in 1996. Responding
to the spirit of entrepreneurial and social calling, they have made India their home, starting without a single friend to count. We hope these experiences will be of use to our readers in appreciating the differences in the cultures of the US and India. It is our belief that only a fusion of the two, blended by individual personality types, can lead to a pleasurable (and profitable) experience in doing business in India.

Set at the times of India's economic revolution and being the cynosure of American businesses, these experiences will help in learning to adjust to a new culture. If doing business in India is strategic or important then one can benefit the fullest from these experiences by identifying and partnering the potential of this land. We ask for open minds, as you read these series and should you need further details we can be reached at the email found on this website.

—Matt Mathew

The Period
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

And on our map the way led to India.

"But will we be able to live in India", was the constant question in our minds. The stares we received as tourists and the effortless guile of the public transport vehicles in inflating bills made us unsure. `Seeing wasn't believing', for the mannerisms connote something entirely different from what was being said and the use of language rather 'strange'. Also this was a strange land far away from the US.

Far it was from the US but quite top of mind for we had heard and read a lot about India. The darling of American Information Technology companies. Talented and hardworking people. Hospitable with a philosophical bent of mind. Yet could this be our home away from home.

Our social calling to do something for the people of India convinced us we could. And so we decided to make India our future Asian Tiger and home to the most populous race. India the Land that charms and frustrates.

The Night Shadows
Thus did the year One thousand, nine hundred and ninety six conduct their Greatness and myriad of small creatures- the creatures of this chronicle among the rest- along the roads that lay before them.
No amount of homework and virtual reality could prepare us for the real thing that was India and Indian. So we embarked on trip to do a feasibility study and collect a list of contacts. And that is our first piece of advice. Tip #1 Always do a reconnaissance to understand the versatility and diversity of India. The many India's in India, where the rich and the poor coexist.

Where at a crowded downtown strip it wouldn't be unusual to see a cow loitering next to a Mercedes Benz. Bullock carts, cycles, automobiles and yes! Even a three wheeler public taxi called the auto rickshaw. It gave Jo and me the impression of a developing nation. So it was but not the people. Temperance and patience - the hallmark of a rich past without the impatience and `Things to do' list of the Americans. Where waiting is getting a thing done. And a curt to the point discussion is a sign of youthful impertinence. The culture of the Mayflower established a race but here. The world began here. Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world flourished here, the erstwhile India.

We were determined to see the real India. Not the tourist circuit but a day in the life of India. For doing business in India could never be a story of McDonalds, Coke and Amex cards.

As the plane taxied to a stop at Meenambakam airport in Chennai earlier called Madras, corporate India got up ready to alight while the rest of us waited. We were in the distant rear from corporate India as they rushed into the terminus and waited for their baggage at the conveyor. Soothing Indian classic piped music. We walked outside confident in our understanding of India. Short-lived as we stepped out. For nothing had prepared us for this. There was people and more people. Scorching sun at its best and a crowd of taxi drivers peddling their services as they swarmed around us.

We looked around for a policeman to help and hired a cab. If New York is famous for its reckless taxis then the Indians were tops in dexterity. Though the fare was agreed to be by the meter we were hassled for more. Tip No. 2 Don't judge India from your experiences with taxi drivers or people in tourist locations.

Hotels can be deceptive in pictures but to get the best within one's budget is no easy task. The five stars like The Oberoi, The Taj, Hilton, The Leela Kempinski are what they say they are and their rates reflect it.

We were surprised by the two extremes. On one hand the luxury hotels are charging international rates ($150-$250) and then there are the economy Indian hotels that charge Indian rates of as low as $10 per night. Often is seems like there is nothing in the middle.

It is recommended that the business traveler stay in either a five star hotel or in a hotel that is one step lower. This will reduce the chances of getting sick from eating something that does not agree. If you can find a hotel just below a five star it is often a much better deal. The rates may be 1/3 and the facilities and service almost as good.

The economy hotels are the toughest to figure. The recommended way to get information about all the hotels is to get your hands on the Lonely Plant Guide to India. If it is a current printing then you will get accurate information about the whole range of hotels plus much more. This is written for the Western audience so it communicates to these needs By the way this book has a great description of India on the back cover. It says, "India is a sensory overload."

The other alternative is to surf the net for a travel agency and ask them to recommend a hotel given your needs and budget. In the worse case you can surf the net for a hotel and then, after you arrive, stay a few nights and look around for a hotel that fits your needs and budget.

At the hotel, double-check what it would cost you totally. It always helps to ask for a break up of the costs so there are no surprises at check out time. A reasonable starting mid priced hotel for a second class city would be $35 per night for which one can get a 12' x 15' room with TV, AC, telephone and a attached bathroom with hot water and essential toiletries. In the metros like Delhi, Bombay now Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai this would increase by 15% for the same facilities.

For us Madras was the beginning. We roughed it staying in a hotel where hygiene was great by Indian standards, toilet paper was just a waste of paper and running water a luxury in a city known for its dearth of water. This is the India we had set out to see, the India where Indians lived. We did realize one thing though. Be specific in one's needs, communicate them clearly to the concerned person and get him to repeat it to see if it has been understood. For us to understand their way of life and them our needs we need to understand Tip# 3 communication makes the critical difference. And so we spent our first night awake listening to the new sounds, inhaling the different smell and feeling the difference that was going to be our new home-INDIA.

A SIGHT TO SEE AND SHOW
"Reins and whip and coachman and guard, however, in combination, had read that article of war which forbade a purpose otherwise strongly in favor of the argument, that brute animals are endued with Reason."

Reason imbibed in the senselessness of a culture. The American fetish for getting everything photographed in stark contrast to the Indian hospitality where privacy is practically non-existent. One shows what the others expect whereas the other does not have anything that cannot be seen. The Indian intimacy that is unnerving to a culture that hides behind materialism and the other flaunts its spirituality amidst the obvious squalor and poverty.

This is where we learnt the Indian touch literally. You have nothing to worry about in terms of sexual preferences. A touch on the arm or the arm around the shoulders or the holding of the hand for a fraction too long are all signs of Indian intimacy. Signs of brotherhood that seems to penetrate through the personal energy field or space. Tip # 4 Never squirm for it is offensive to resist the personal and human touch of friendship. But we learnt to see the sentiment beyond the mere touch as we tried to be comfortable holding hands with the same gender. Yes, for holding hands across genders would be offensive in a predominantly conservative culture. Tip #5 Never shake hands, touch or sit close or next to a woman. We found that even to the most modern women the Indian form of greeting, folded palms facing each other and the word namaste said in a soft tone is the safest one to adopt. To a progressive woman it would not matter and helps in asserting her modernity. But it is safer to make sure that the woman and the people around would not find it culturally sensitive. Tip # 6 Especially in public places it would be prudent to keep a respectable distance between a man and a woman.

It was tough for Jesse and I to come to terms with this Indian touch as we traveled from Chennai to Bangalore by train. People all over the station and bunched on benches. Leaning against each other in moments of sleep oblivious of the heat and noise around. Open stares when they were not sleeping. Questions of where are you from and where are you going. Why are you here and for how long will you be in India? Despite the proximity to humans putting my arms around Joanna didn't seem normal.

For a woman is the embodiment of Indian ethos. The earth in Hindu mythology is referred to Mother Earth. A gender that is patient and through whom the arrogance of mankind has found its stillness and must look the role too. Imagine the culture shock when a foreigner lady wears a skirt and top that reveals more than the acceptable Indian norm. Irrespective of the many counter arguments that a sari reveals much more, seen from the cultural standpoint a lady wins admiration and respect when the obvious signs of femininity are concealed. And a lady wearing trousers and shirts would be the equivalent of a man wearing a skirt and blouse. The Indian Salwar Kameez or Churidhar, a pajama with a loose top that falls to your knee is the best bet and can be bought from any clothes store. Comfortable in this climate and guaranteed to bowl you host over. Jesse can vouch for that. Nothing to beat cultural sensitivity with this. Wearing a sari would be slightly better but a sari could be cumbersome and if not knotted or worn well could even be a social embarrassment. Tip # 7 You may never know the mistakes you are making.

THE TWO HEADED JANUS
Inquisitive to the point of irritation. Tip # 8 The Indian wants to know everything at the first meeting, don't be offended. That to gain personal information and preferences. Not for any credit card company or telemarketing agency but that is the method of establishing a relationship. Personal information that bonds a person and helps understand and help the other better. Barging into your bedroom without notice is a sign that you have nothing to fear and hide because you are my buddy. Or even inviting you into their bedroom to just lounge and chat says I trust you because you are my buddy. Indian spirituality that teaches that all life is an illusion and the only thing that endures is good deeds. And how can one be good if he has to hide his true self from his buddy or brother.

We stayed with an Indian couple in Bangalore. And they gave us their room while they roughed it up. Refusing this hospitality made us realize that we were doing more harm to the hosts who was not allowed to do their duty. And the yardstick of privacy was the house not people and rooms. We found that interesting for once you have decided to merge what you are and what you want to show then it is people relating to people without the pretense of man being a social animal. A form of superior counseling where you get to live and experience it.

In days past travelers were very shy of being confidential on a short notice for anybody on the road might be a robber or in league with the robber. As to the later, when every posting house and ale house could produce somebody in the `Captains pay', ranging from the landlord to the lowest stable nondescript, it was the likeliest thing upon the cards.

Besides preparing to set up a business we met many people to find out what was the best way we could be a benefit to India. We wanted to seek from them their reaction to foreign help. Help on the financial front was welcome but was there a need for the foreigner to indulge in any activity as well. Tip # 9 A foreigner's value is equated to the money that can be obtained from him or her. On the business front everybody was happy that we were setting up business.

For there was money to be made by everybody. And in that was the gem of Indian bureaucracy. They saw it as their duty and hence why should they be bribed? But they saw themselves as being underpaid and we had the money to spare. After all the government machinery in normal times takes a long time and they were going out of the way to speed up the process. So why couldn't we pay since in any case they were not expected to speed up the process. Customer service meant `If you have the right money then no problem'. But we would not bribe. So here is a negotiating tip. Never give the impression of being desperate or impatient to get what you want. Tip #10 The more you want something, behave as if you couldn't care if you don't get it.

To be fair this is one side of India, for there can be Indian hospitality at its best, a hospitality that discriminates in the favor of the foreigner and where the Indian receives the raw end of the stick. At a crowded public place or in a line or at the bus stop one can see the guarded deference mixed with curiosity towards the foreigner. Questions that range from how many are you in the family to what does your Dad do. All in the attempt to get a fix on the foreigner and his seriousness and intent in coming to India. We realized the intent of their questions as coming from their cultural standpoint of sizing up people. You couldn't be friendlier by telling them what things are like back in America. But don't always compare things to the way they are back home. But if you do, try and the dispel the myth that every American is rich that you are loaded and can freely dole money without burning your pocket. Also tell them the truth about back home.

American has plenty of problems. It takes a short time in India to see the many negative things back home. I guess the positive things in the Indian culture expose the negative in ones own culture. We will get into this more later but for now compare the great respect Indian children have for their parents to the independent American kid or the extremely conservative non-dating Indian culture to the boy crazy American teenage culture. No wonder the Indian politicians have been cautious about opening the doors of the county to foreign involvement.

Cultural Tips
These Tips will be an expansion of the above story. They will tell experiences and in-depth insights and tips about the culture of India. Any businessman considering doing business in India should surely take note.

Cultural Tip # 1 Always do a reconnaissance to understand the versatility and diversity of India.Here we will explain some things to look for in this reconnaissance.

Cultural Tip # 2 Don't judge India from your experience with taxi drivers or people in tourist locations.We will explain that often tourist don't see the kind generous people of India because many less desirable people gather at the same places where the tourists visit. This will be explained along with some of the risks of applying ones own culture values on another culture.

Cultural Tip # 3 Communication makes the critical difference.

We will talk about how to communicate cross culturally.

Cultural Tip # 4 Never squirm for it is offensive to resist the personal and human touch of friendship.Here we will tell and interesting true story

Cultural Tip # 5 Never shake hands, touch or sit close or next to a woman.

Cultural Tip # 6 Especially in public places it would be prudent to keep a respectable distance between a man and a woman.

Cultural Tip # 7 You many never know the mistakes you are making. Cumbersome and if not knotted or worn well could even be a social embarrassment.

Here we will tell and interesting true story.

Cultural Tip # 8 The Indian wants to know everything at the first meeting don't be offended.We will give an example

Cultural Tip # 9 A foreigner's value is equated to the money that can be obtained from him or her.

Cultural Tip #10 The more you want something, behave as if you couldn't care if you don't get it.

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