A Quick Guide To
Indian Culture An essential get-to-the-point, read-on-the-plane guide to help you make a good impression, avoid misunderstanding, and get the most out of your business trip.
Annabelle Beckwith with Mercy P. Bulsari
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Introduction Anyone who’s planning to travel to the Indian subcontinent to do business would be well advised to do some research on Indian culture before they go, in order to prevent misunderstanding, to create a strong impression and to get the best out of their business trip. Annabelle Beckwith is mixed race – her mother is from Gujarat – a major industrial hub in Western India - and has spent a good deal of time in India. As a business management and leadership trainer, she has also delivered training programmes and workshops to Indians, and to UK nationals who are either going to be working with Indian colleagues, or travelling to India on business. Mercy P. Bulsari is a professional in the polymer industry, and has worked both in India and in Canada for a number of years. She specialises in managing joint ventures and collaborations between Indian and overseas companies. Both of them have seen European and American travellers make mistakes that have resulting in misunderstandings – and that’s something that this Quick Guide has been written to prevent. One of the things to bear in mind is that over the past several years, Indians have been very exposed to European and American cultural influences, and understand the inevitable differences. This Guide provides background information on some of the traditions and customs which may, to a lesser or greater degree, impact on your visit. By and large, the further away from the main cities and urban areas you go, the more aware you may need to be of some of these customs. It obviously doesn’t mean that EVERYONE is going to behave as outlined here – we are not looking to stereotype anyone. This Quick Guide will, though provide some very useful pointers for anyone planning a business trip to India for the first time, and perhaps provide an explanation for more experienced travellers who might have had a few difficulties but weren’t aware why these happened. At the end of the day, India is a truly amazing country: whatever the reason for your visit, we want you to enjoy it, and make the most of it.
Annabelle Beckwith and Mercy P. Bulsari www.yaraconsulting.com
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General Culture India’s rich cultural heritage underpins every area of life – and business is no exception. These general points will, at some stage, become apparent on your trip. And obviously enough, being aware of them will help you understand – rather than misinterpret – what’s going on, and respond appropriately.
Society and religion
One of the most immediately obvious things you’ll notice is that India is a country of contrasts. You’ll see vast wealth alongside abject poverty from the outset, and this can be unsettling to the newcomer. You’ll also notice cutting edge modernity and technology alongside history, tradition and superstition.
Indian culture is very hierarchical. Whilst the caste system is no longer legal its vestiges remain. Considerable respect is afforded to the elderly and those in positions of seniority both at work and in the community. This if reflected in the way in which people communicate with each other: in some circumstances, people may appear to you to ‘speak down’ to people who ‘serve’ (in shops, for example) – younger people will be deferential to the older family members and so on. You’ll notice this hierarchy in various guises in the business environment too – about which, more later.
Relationships are very important in Indian culture, with the extended family network being the bedrock of society. Strong working relationships are also formed in the workplace – colleagues are likely to be invited to family events such as weddings and other celebrations, and are more likely to be aware of the family lives of their colleagues than in a UK work culture.
Religion is important and pervades everything – even if people are not ‘practicing’ per se, the vast majority will align themselves with a faith. Most people are Hindu. Other main religions are Muslim, Sikh and Christian. Partly as a result of this there are a significant number of festivals in India. Some will be national (like Diwali, Eid etc) and some are more local (for example, the Uttarayan Kite festival in Gujarat in January). Given that many festivals are linked to different faiths, different people may take time off work depending on their own religious festivals. www.yaraconsulting.com
Greetings and conversation
The traditional greeting is ‘Namaste’ (pronounced na-ma-stay), said whilst holding one’s hands in a prayer like position, palms together, at chest height.
Handshakes tend to be quick and are often not very firm. When greeting a woman, wait for her to offer to shake hands first. As a woman visiting India, if you want to shake hands, hold your hand out to male Indian colleagues. If you don’t they may interpret this as your NOT wanting to shake hands, and pass you by. From a UK perspective, it is easy to misinterpret this as a gesture of disrespect, as though as a woman you are being overlooked in favour of your male colleagues. It’s important to realise that, from an Indian perspective, it is quite the opposite – they are respecting the fact that you did not invite the handshake.
It can be considered rude to plough straight on in with your business concerns right away, without a certain amount of relationship building ‘chat’. Business can sometimes feel slow and difficult in India. Building trust is very important. Be polite, but persistent – you may need to plan on several visits before you reach an agreement, rather than relying on getting it all done and dusted on the first attempt.
Body language and accent
It’s important not to interpret Indian body language and tone of voice according to our own conventions. To do so is to invite misunderstanding! One gesture that often confuses non-Indians is the ‘head wobble’. Shaking your head in a circular motion means ‘yes’, as does the more familiar straight up-and-down nod. Shaking your head from side to side means ‘no’.
Although most Indians speak very good English, make sure you speak more slowly and clearly than usual and avoid the use of jargon, idioms or cultural references which may be unfamiliar to them.
The 'mother tongue influence' of many Indian English speakers will mean that to a British listener, they might sound harsh or abrupt, when that's just how www.yaraconsulting.com
they talk. Listeners should beware of reading too much into an apparently challenging tone of voice, and check for other non verbal signals as to mood and intent.
The informal ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ that we use very frequently in the UK and other native English-speaking countries are not over-used in India. This may mean that Indian speakers of English do not say please and thank you as frequently as you might expect, and seem rude or abrupt. Alternatively, some Indians (having been told this) may be particularly mindful of saying please and thank you at every opportunity.
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Business Culture As a major world economy, Indians are no strangers to working in a global marketplace. There are, though, some matters of business etiquette that differ from a Western European or American approach.
Hierarchy at work
India’s hierarchical culture spreads into its business culture, with senior managers ‘leading from the front’, and flat management structures are extremely rare. You may see this hierarchy in the form of deferential behaviour towards managers and senior staff – far more so than you would in a culture with a ‘flatter’ management structure. The adherence to hierarchy can also manifest itself in strict chains-ofcommand: a junior member of staff, for example, needing to speak to a manager in another department, might speak to his own boss, who will then make the approach to the other manager. You may also notice that managers seem less likely to ‘roll up their sleeves and muck in’ than might be expected in a flatter management culture, and that in group discussions, the more senior members of the group will do most of the talking, and will not be contradicted by more junior staff. Roles and responsibilities are often keenly observed – companies may have a office assistant, for example, who will make the tea and run messages for staff. Decisions are made by senior personnel…therefore it is necessary for more junior staff to ensure that good relations are maintained with their seniors, and that they staff make a good impression in front of them. This latter point may become evident if both junior and senior members of staff are on the same training course or attending the same meeting. More junior members of staff may appear reticent about introducing themselves to you at first – this is because of the hierarchy, and the reluctance to approach someone who might be more senior than them for fear of offending them. Senior members of staff are often addressed more formally (as Mr / Mrs / Sir / Madam). If in doubt, refer to someone as Mr or Miss (or even Sir or Madam in formal circumstances) etc until you know them, or until invited to do otherwise.
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People tend to expect managers to assign them tasks and projects. They are less likely to ‘push back’ on tasks that they feel ill-equipped to do, or for which they don’t really have the time Relationship building is also a key part of business culture – it’s not uncommon for colleagues to be invited to the homes of other colleagues and managers for meals, to family weddings of their workmates and so on. Indians place a very high value on education and qualifications – in some respects, it helps to establish where in the hierarchy some is, if it’s not immediately obvious by other means.
Workplace conventions
The Indian working day starts later than ours – the rush hour can be truly horrendous.
Timings in general can be rather flexible. Patience is often necessary.
It is considered acceptable by Indians to multi-task, which may mean that they start doing something else whist talking to you.
Try to offer or take a business card with your right hand.
Workplace communications
Views are expressed in a respectful and non-confrontational manner. Aggression (and in some cases impatience) is seen as extremely disrespectful, and criticism needs to be carefully delivered in a way that allows the receiver of it to maintain their self esteem.
Closed questions like ‘Is everyone OK with that?’ will get a ‘yes’ response whether or not people actually are OK. Open question techniques are necessary to check - in meeting for example – that everyone has fully understood and is on board. ‘Yes’ can often mean ‘If I can’ or ‘I’ll do my best’ as opposed to being an absolute affirmative. www.yaraconsulting.com
“I’ll try” often means ‘no’, but is seen as a more polite way of refusing than an outright ‘no’.
Humour often doesn’t translate culturally, so be careful particularly with the use of sarcasm and irony, which might not be fully understood and may cause offence.
Out of a genuine sense of interest and curiosity, Indian people can sometimes ask questions that to a more reserved (UK) culture might seem too personal, or even rude: questions about salary, marital status, occupation of other family members and so on. Whilst this might come across to the visitor as being impertinent, from the Indian perspective, it is being friendly and building the relationship.
What to wear
For men, business attire is a shirt and smart trousers – because it’s hot, no tie is necessary.
For women, ‘conservative’ or ‘modest’ are the watchwords for overseas visitors: no sleeveless tops or short skirts.
Salwar kameez (long top, loose trousers and a scarf) is the commonplace business dress amongst Indian women, and the sari is also still worn, although less so these days. Corporate ‘western’ business dress is also becoming increasingly common.
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Out and About If your business trip affords you some time off, here are some of the things to bear in mind if you set out to explore your surroundings
Travelling
Purchasing tickets for longer journeys (by train, for example) can involve A LOT of queuing and paperwork. Be prepared for this. If in any doubt, ask your host’s advice on how and where best to purchase tickets. Queues tend to be rather random, and patience often needs to be exercised. You may need to push a bit to get to the front, or to prevent people from pushing in front of you.
Traffic tends to be chaotic. Try to cross the road at crossing points (although there’s no guarantee that drivers will stop when they are supposed to.) Look both ways even if it appears to be a one way street. Cross in a purposeful manner – he who hesitates is lost! Don’t be tempted to follow the many people who duck under level crossing gates to cross the railway track. The trains won’t stop.
If you hail a taxi or one of the black and yellow rickshaws in the street, agree your price before getting in – or check that the auto-rickshaws has a working meter. This shouldn’t be necessary with those booked for you by your hotel (who may advise you of a guide price for your journey).
Shopping
City streets are extremely busy, and you might be sharing the pavement with other pedestrians, cows (which wander about freely, being sacred animals in the Hindu religion), dogs, vendors pushing carts of wares etc etc.
Keep your wits about you as you might be the target of opportunist thieves. Keep your wallet and passport safe and hidden from view. Whilst being vigilant, though, don’t forget to look around – there are some amazing buildings and sights to see behind the street-life. www.yaraconsulting.com
If you go into a shop - particularly a family run one - don’t be surprised if you’re offered a cup of tea and a seat whilst the shop owner shows you his products.
When shopping in ordinary streets and markets, bargaining is common practice unless the goods are marked "fixed price". Bargaining is not necessary in the larger malls. Many of the hotels and shopping malls have x-ray type security gates to put your bags through, or to walk through yourself.
Tipping is common practice – it offers reward and often ensures that things get done.
At some point during your visit you’re likely to see people begging in the street, and it can be uncomfortable if they make a direct approach to you. People are generally discouraged from giving money to beggars.
Indian people can be very curious, and it’s not unusual to find people staring at you. This is not considered rude. It’s also not unusual for strangers to strike up a conversation with you, or even include you in their photographs.
Sightseeing
If you are visiting a sight of religious significance, be aware of what you’re wearing: women may be expected to cover their heads and you’ll have to remove your shoes and leave them at the door.
When taking photographs, you might find yourself surrounded by eager children wanting to be included in the shot!
Tourist attractions are a magnet for street – sellers who will press you strongly to make a purchase. If you find something thrust into your hand and then payment demanded, if all else fails, put it down on the floor and walk away.
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Visiting Someone’s Home Indians are hospitable and generous. If you are invited to someone’s house for a meal, here are some of the conventions of which you should be aware.
Before the meal
If you are invited to someone’s house, take your shoes off at the door unless your host says not to.
You are likely to be offered a glass of water first. It’s polite to take at least a few sips – (and not to enquire if it’s from a bottle: most water is filtered so you’ll be OK. Besides – this is the same water that your host and his family drink).
It’s polite to give your host a small gift, wrapped, but not in black or white paper. If you take sweets like fudge, make sure they do not contain alcohol in case you’re visiting the home of a Muslim. Give the gift with your right hand.
If offered snacks before your meal, there might be a bowl of Bombay mix. Use the spoon to put some in your hand and then toss it into your mouth. If in doubt, follow your host’s lead!
Don’t point your feet at anyone, as this can be considered rude. Be wary of this when you cross your legs.
The meal
If your host is a man, it’s not unusual for the lady of the house to prepare and serve the meal but not to eat with you.
You will undoubtedly be offered a knife and fork to eat with – traditionally Indians eat with their hands, and using a spoon is also fairly commonplace. Use your right hand to eat with, or to pick up or pass food.
Traditionally, people eat off a large steel plate on which a variety of foods are set, as opposed to having separate courses per se. Depending on the province you’re in, dessert may be served before or after lunch or dinner, or sometimes along with the main courses. www.yaraconsulting.com
You will be strongly pressed to take a second - or even third – helping. If you don’t want one, leave a little food on the side of your plate to indicate that you are full (and politely say that this is why you’re leaving it).
It is not considered rude to burp after you’ve eaten.
*********************** More than anything else, be prepared to ‘go with the flow’ and enjoy the culture and people of India. It’s one of the most fascinating places on earth. Enjoy your trip!
Annabelle and Mercy Annabelle.beckwith@yaraconsulting.com mbulsari5@gmail.com
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