Cross Cultural Etiquette and Manners: India
- Plan your business meetings with your Indian counterparts well in advance in writing and also, over the phone.
- Try to avoid your meetings around the Indian holidays.
- Indian climate is hot and not so comfortable particularly during summer. Take this into consideration while visiting India for business or for pleasure.
- For business meetings, men can be formally dressed, may wear a suit and tie. In summer, you may have to remove your jacket.
- When not attending formal business, men can wear short-sleeved shirts and long pants. You do not see many people wearing shorts on the streets and in social gatherings in India. This trend is gradually changing though, particularly in big cities.
- Women should wear conservative dresses or pantsuits for business meetings.
- Women should not wear revealing outfits in business meetings as well as while going out for shopping or to places of entertainment in India.
- Meetings may not always start on dot. Try to be punctual but if the meetings start after the scheduled time, do not feel discouraged. At times meetings may get rescheduled, do not get frustrated immediately.
- Age and hierarchy are important factors to decide the importance of people in India. In social and family environment, people of higher age are respected by the people of lower age. However, in government and in business organizations, hierarchy and power positions are respected.
- Therefore, as a business meeting protocol, greet the most senior Indian person the first and then others.
- When you meet an Indian or when you leave him, you can greet him by a hand-shake. The common greeting in India is saying “Namaste (pronounced as na-mas-tay)” to the person you are greeting and while saying so, bring your palms together at chest level with a slight bow of the head.
- You may shake hands; however, greeting with "Namaste" is appreciated lot more, particularly, when meeting people in informal environment.
- Men shake hands with men when meeting or leaving. Men do not shake hands with women or do not touch them.
- Women may do a hand-shake with westernized Indian men but not normally with others. Traditional Indian women may shake hands with foreign women but not usually with men.
- When addressing an Indian, use the appropriate formal title like Mr, Mrs, Miss, Doctor, Professor and then his or her surname (the family name) or if you do not know their names then you may address them with sir or madam.
- In the formal setup, Indians do not deal with each other on first name basis that easily. It takes them some time though this trend is changing gradually.
- When doing business in India, exchange your business cards at the beginning of the meeting. Give your card by your right hand.
- In most of the government departments and for almost all the businesses in India, you can use English as the medium of communication.
- Building relationships is important in order to carry out your business in India.
- Meetings may normally start with some small talk as part of opening up process. Topics of opening conversation may be the latest business news etc. Never comment on matters such as poverty etc, it is impolite and hurting.
- Decisions making is pretty centralized at the highest hierarchical levels in India. Therefore, the decision making or business negotiation process is slow.
- If Indians have to negate or reject anything or they are in doubt about something, they may not be direct about it. They may say, “We will see”, “We will think about it”, “Perhaps OK, not sure” etc. Chances are that they actually intend saying “no”.
- Business dinners or lunches are normally arranged in restaurants in prestigious hotels or clubs. You can discuss the business during business entertainment but let the host initiate it.
- When relationship is developed, you may be invited to the homes too.
- Do not point blank refuse an invitation to a dinner at home or at a restaurant extended by your business counterpart. If you do not wish to attend or cannot attend it for some reason, give a believable reason.
- You need not be punctual at the business or social dinners. You can afford to arrive 15 to 20 minutes late for dinner party.
- When you are invited for dinner at home, ask the host as to where to remove your shoes. At many homes in India, the host expects you to remove your shoes at the entrance to home.
- At a social event, in case you are welcome with a flower or bouquet or garland, accept it with grace. After a few minutes, keep it at a convenient place in consultation with the host. Do take it to your residence when you leave the place.
- If invited for dinner at home, you should carry gifts for the host and the host's children if you know about them. You may give perfumes, chocolates or items of china, crystal, silver etc.
- Give gifts with both hands. Host will normally not open the gift in your presence.
- If you receive any gift from an Indian, accept it but do not open it in his presence.
- In Indian homes, the host may serve you the dishes at the dinner. Allow the host to do so.
- Indian food is best eaten with fingers. If hosts eat with fingers, you may do the same and tell the host that you are enjoying it that way. However, if silverware (fork, knife, spoon etc) is provided, you may use them instead of eating with fingers if you are not used to do so.
- Ask permission before smoking. In India, it is considered rude to smoke in the presence of elders.
- Apologize if your feet or shoes touch another person.
- Public display of affection is not considered as appropriate in India.
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