Namaste! Features of mentality and business etiquette in India

India is a country with one of the oldest and most unique civilizations in the world, which is a complex mixture of diverse traditions of East and West. There are many cultural and mental nuances, as well as certain rules that should be considered when doing business in this country.

Business mentality of Indians

There are predominantly two types of companies in India today. First — this is a traditional family business, the second — a company that works according to a more modern business methodology.

The working day in the country, as a rule, starts at 10 am. But some companies in big cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai may start work as early as 7:30 am.

The time format in India is expressed in the British manner: day, month, year. So March 8, 2023 would be written as 08/03/2023. The business calendar year runs from April to March, and it should also be noted that there are many holidays throughout the year, which vary by region and religion.

Indians actively use business cards. As a rule, it is not necessary to translate part of the business card if it is in English, since most of the inhabitants of the country, as well as businessmen and officials of India, own it. A business card is traditionally served with two hands, slightly leaning towards the interlocutor.

The country clearly respects the hierarchy. Status is determined by age, university education, profession. Indians are aware of the social order and their status in relation to other people, whether it be family, friends or strangers. When scheduling a meeting, it is important to make sure that your status (or that of your delegation) matches that of the other side. Being the boss usually means being the "boss" in India. As a boss, you must fit this role. Senior managers should not do work that can be done by someone lower in the organization. Most decisions are made by leaders, and mid-level negotiations can be a waste of time if the top-level decision has not yet been made.

Business correspondence is usually conducted via e-mail. You need to address by name and surname, adding "sir" to the beginning of the appeal; or "Madam" respectively. Over time, when moving to closer contact with a partner, formalities can be slightly reduced. When scheduling the first meeting, it will be correct to give brief information about yourself, information about the company, the purpose of the meeting, as well as provide a list of questions and abstracts for the upcoming discussion. In India, it is considered quite appropriate to hold meetings in restaurants, therefore, before inviting a partner for a business lunch or dinner, you should definitely clarify whether he is a vegetarian and what kind of cuisine he prefers.

The people of India are not very punctual. There is an old Indian belief — Everyone is waiting for an important person. But employees of large international companies, as well as senior management of local structures, mostly try not to be late.

As for foreigners, it is better to come to business meetings, as well as to visit business partners on time.

The country also has the concept of "flexible working hours". Being late, delaying meetings or interrupting them is considered quite normal.

It is worth making the first business acquaintance in writing 1-2 months before the planned event and sending the agenda and other information materials to the partners in advance. It's worth confirming your intentions a few days in advance and making sure your partner doesn't cancel at the last minute either.

It is worth considering that a significant amount of time may pass before the meeting itself. It is advisable to get to know the right person through a third party. This will add to your confidence, as Indians prefer to get to know a person well first, and only then establish a business relationship. For the same reason, Indians view the first meeting as an introductory meeting and, as a rule, do not discuss business issues at it. It is important for them to first establish social relations, and only then move on to business. At the introductory meeting, you can also schedule an additional meeting to discuss all business issues.

When receiving an Indian delegation at the office, it would be appropriate to offer water without asking the guest, and around 11 am or 5 pm tea should be offered.

It would be considered good manners to give a potential partner a souvenir from your country, but not too expensive and pretentious.

Indians also have a habit of showing off expensive things, sometimes without even being their owner, in order to make a good first impression.

The art of conversation

It is very important when negotiating with Indians to have a good command of English. Any business communication should begin with a couple of unpretentious detached phrases to defuse the situation and establish a more trusting atmosphere.

Popular topics of conversation include politics, cricket, movies, and, more recently, the country's economic reforms. Set aside some time to prepare for these topics as it can be very helpful in building positive relationships and gaining approval. India — it is a country with an ancient and culturally advanced, rich civilization, which most Indians are very proud of and discuss with pleasure. There may be times when Indians can baffle you with a question that seems too personal or intrusive, such as about family or personal life. In India, this is considered a sign of friendliness and interest in you as an interlocutor. You should not react violently, but as a sign of respect, you can ask a similar question.

Given the fact that religious customs and rituals play an important role in the life of India, the genuine interest of a foreigner in the religious customs of the country, as a rule, is met with enthusiasm. Indians are generally tolerant people, but it is still worth avoiding arguments about religious beliefs. It is important not to discuss the topics of poverty in India, as well as relations with Pakistan.

In most cases, Indians avoid using the word "no" as it is considered impolite. Instead, it is customary to use a more acceptable option, such as "maybe"; or even just tell the person everything they want to hear. In terms of body language, if they say "yes" when asked, while they shake their heads (a combination of shaking and nodding), it usually means "no".

Indians generally do not use touch as part of their communication. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that prolonged eye contact is usually not considered the norm, especially for a woman who is looking at a man.

It is not customary to stand and keep your hands on your hips, this will be regarded as an angry, aggressive posture.

In a business meeting or in any other place, it is forbidden to show the feet to another person, sitting opposite him, as it is believed that the legs — it's something unclean.

It is also forbidden to touch a person's head, even to stroke the hair of a small child. The head is considered to be the place where the soul resides.

Business dress code

Dress code plays an important role in business communication in India. In business circles, preference is given to classic suits, shirts and ties — the severity of appearance depends on the formality of the meeting. The only exception is the IT-sphere, where the dress code is reduced to a more free one. For formal events and meetings, the standard international dress code should be followed.

Traditional Indian costume is also normal for the business environment: long cotton pajamas and jacket for men, elongated tunics and wide trousers — for women.

Indians greatly appreciate when foreign partners wear traditional Indian costume (pajama jacket for men, sari or salwar kameez for women) for social and semi-business meetings, this is seen as a gesture of friendship and a desire to be imbued with Indian culture.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the color in clothes also matters. For business meetings, it is important to choose neutral colors, muted and not very bright. Suits with trousers or long skirts are suitable for foreign women, which are considered more acceptable here.

India — it is a hot country, in some cases during business meetings it is not forbidden to dress less formally. The jacket should be worn during the first visit and always for meetings with representatives of the administration.

Indian greeting

In India, it is most common to greet the oldest or oldest person first. Indians believe that it is extremely important to use the title of a person wherever possible, for example, degrees such as "Doctor" or "Professor" and others. Use polite addresses such as "Mr", "Mrs" or "Miss" for those without professional titles, and wait until you are prompted to use names.

In Hinduism, it is not customary to shake hands, instead, the greeting is a gesture of shaking one's own hands and tilting the head, followed by the phrase "namaste". This can be translated as "I bow to you as a divine being."

A man in India can be greeted with a light handshake, but do not take the initiative, wait for the Indian partner to extend his hand first. Women are greeted with a nod of the head or a traditional respectful gesture: the palms are folded together at chest level, followed by a slight bow.

If a hand is extended to you, you can shake it, but it is not customary for women to shake hands. Touching an unfamiliar woman, for example, holding her hand, is considered indecent.

Many foreigners may be surprised and puzzled by the use of the non-verbal — shaking the head from side to side. It may seem as if this is a combination of the verbal "yes" and "no." In India, this gesture — a visual way to let someone know they understand what the other person is saying or that they agree with it.

Features of negotiations and deals

The Indians value conciseness and frankness in communication. You can be direct about what you want to achieve from the meeting or deal. It's important to be direct about what you want and have documentation prepared detailing your orders. Set clear deadlines and conduct reviews.

Indian businessmen have extensive experience in making deals and are used to carefully considering and calculating all their decisions for quite a long time. Get ready for lengthy, highly detailed negotiations. Be prepared for long delays, especially for bureaucratic issues. In India, quick decisions are rarely made. In dealing with Indians, you should be flexible and open. In this country, it is customary to negotiate, and stubbornness is considered bad form. Also, do not adapt to the Indians. If you can make a Hindu respect you, then he will eventually want to adapt to you. Hindus respect restrained, friendly and persistent people who never back down and never lose a smile.

It should be noted that as a rule, during business communication, Indians will ask many questions of a personal nature about your health or family. This is not easy curiosity: in India it is considered good form to take an interest in the personal life of a partner. As for formal communication, it is observed until the end of the first meeting. After that, Indians tend to establish friendly relations with new business partners.

Business gifts

Exchanging gifts in a business environment is not mandatory, however, it would be very appropriate to give a future business partner a souvenir from your country, especially with a national flavor, at the first meeting. When choosing gifts, you should avoid alcohol and meat products: in India, about 40% of the inhabitants are vegetarians. When wrapping gifts, keep in mind the fact that black and white paper cannot be used: according to Indian beliefs, these colors bring bad luck. Red, green and yellow packaging material is best suited for such purposes: it is believed that they bring good luck. Also remember that in India it is not customary to open gifts in the presence of the giver.

It is worth paying special attention to the choice of a gift, as Indian customs are very different from ours.

In a situation where the Indians "returned", do not open the gift immediately, and do not accept it with your left hand (remember, it is considered unclean, and it will be impolite). Be sure to keep in mind that you need to give a gift with both hands, making a slight inclination forward. 

It is strictly forbidden to give items made of cowhide (since the cow is considered a sacred animal), as well as an even number of items (a symbol of misfortune). In particular, it is worth refraining from giving alcohol (due to religious reasons) and things related to animals such as pigs, dogs or reptiles (they are considered dirty animals).

Etiquette when visiting an Indian

When inviting guests, it is common to give the host flowers or even sweets. If the host has children, it is also appropriate to prepare a small gift for them. You can not present white flowers — in India it is customary to give them for funerals.

It is important to know that when entering a house, you should always take off your shoes. Sometimes honored guests, as a sign of special respect, can be put on garlands of flowers at the entrance to the house. Also, guests in the Indian house will always be offered snacks and drinks. It should be remembered that in India they do not eat beef. Also, many Indians eat only plant foods (for religious reasons, most Indians don't eat animals), so it might not be a good idea to eat any meat in their presence. Nevertheless, in large cities in restaurants you will always find a variety of European dishes and alcohol, which, by the way, Indians also rarely drink. In some parts of India, drinking alcohol is not accepted, and also many Indians do not drink at home. Even guests who drink are not allowed to drink alcohol on certain occasions, such as religious holidays or in the presence of an older, respected relative. However, there are exceptions, sometimes drinking drinks at home is not a problem. Gin and whiskey are popular in India, as well as some domestic brands. If you know about the preferences of your Indian partner, a bottle of good duty-free alcohol as a gift will always be appropriate.

When visiting, it is important to take into account that you can only sit at the table at the place where the host will indicate to you.

Traditionally, in India, knives and forks are not used during meals. Therefore, if the owners of the house eat with their hands, then it is appropriate for you to do the same. Although you may be provided with a spoon, for example, for soup or rice, but in big cities they also use other cutlery.

It is important to remember that you can only touch food with your right hand.

At the table, usually in the course of a conversation, you may be asked some personal questions, even if you do not know each other very well. In turn, you can do the same, and the Indians will be pleased that you are interested in their lives.

When dinner is over, leave some food on your plate. This will show the hosts that you are full, and if your plate is empty, then you are still hungry. Some Hindu followers don't talk while eating, but if you get into such a society, you will immediately understand this.