Doing business in India

India is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and its economy is constantly growing. Transport and healthcare in particular are becoming more important in the international market. If you work in one of these industries then there is a good chance that you will soon be doing business with an Indian company, if you are not already. Doing business in India is different than it may be in the UK, so we have provided a short summary of how things are done in terms of conducting business in India.

Getting to know each other

Greeting a potential business partner in India is not the same as it is in the UK where we are used to shaking each other’s hand. When you meet someone, you place the palms of your hands together in front of your chest and bow slightly, saying ‘namaste’.
On meeting someone for the first time, it is not compulsory to bring a gift, but it will be received with pleasure if you do decide to bring something, in which case, bring something simple like chocolate or flowers (but not white in either case). Bear in mind that your gift will not be opened in the presence of company.
It is not the custom to talk about business at a first meeting but rather about family and education, etc. When it is finally time for negotiations, aggressive sales techniques should best be avoided; they won’t be appreciated. Decisions are not made immediately either, and are communicated later.

Communication

A direct ‘no’ in answer to a question is regarded as impolite in India. Try to avoid such an answer by rewording it more neutrally, like, ‘I will try’. Similarly, the person you are dealing with in India won’t say no either. What can happen is that there is a gesture that is something between a nod and a shaking of the head. You can then be sure that the answer is ‘no’, whatever else might be said. Other gestures which we might consider as perfectly normal are regarded as impolite in India, so you should just try and make as few as possible in order to be on the safe side. Whatever you do, do everything with your right hand because the left hand is regarded as unclean. Furthermore, it is unnecessary to thank anyone for a meal because it may be regarded as an insult.