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Resource Center >> Facts about India
India - The land of contrast, paradox & harmony
General info:
- Originally an agrarian economy with a fast growing industrial and information technology based sector
- Population almost 1 billion (16% of world's population & working people)
- Most populous democracy
- Mogul dynasty (about 450 years) followed by British rule for almost 200 years (middle of 1700 - 1947); independent, sovereign country from 1947
- Very organized and growing private sector economy (similar to that of any industrial nation)
- Still a large portion of the economy influenced by government
- Prevailing wages almost 1/5th of other industrial nations (wages in IT sector higher)
- Established judiciary and court systems (similar to British system)
- India a member of World Trade Organization (WTO)
- A large number of educational institutions (colleges & universities) mostly concentrated around urban centers
- A very large number of primary & higher secondary schools distributed around the country
- College education is a must for most middleclass Indians
- Sixteen officially recognized languages (including English), many more dialects
- Medium of communication among various regions is English
- A significantly large number urban Indians have working knowledge of English
- Climate is tropical with many seasons (most regions are warm with some variations through out the year)
- Many religious practices: almost 82% Hindus, 11% Muslims, 3% Christians, 2% Sikhs, 2% Jains, Parsis, Buddhists
- Major metropolitan cities: New Delhi (Capital - in the north), Mumbai (formerly Bombay - west), Hyderabad (south), Bangalore (south), Kolkata (formerly Calcutta, the old capital - in the east), Chennai (formerly Madras - south), Pune (west)
- Concept of zero first originated from India
- First calculated Pi (= 3.1416)
- A large number of political parties (many of them are very strong regionally).
- Neighboring countries: Pakistan, Old Soviet Republic countries, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma)
- Warm and Hospitable to foreigners
- A significantly large number of population under poverty line
Infrastructure:
- Main mode of transportation is railways (world's largest rail network operated by govt.)
- Almost all major and minor cities (more than a hundred) are connected by air transport
- Four or five major airlines (including one major govt. airlines)
- Large cities are well connected with rest of the world (daily flights)
- A large number of hotels (with varying standards & prices) in metropolitan cities.
- A very strong telephone network (developed in last 15 years)
- All major metropolitan cities have good ISDN and T-1 line access
- Limited broadband connections available only in large cities, however growing steadily
- A very large number of multinationals and western companies have set up their establishments in last 10 years, mostly in large urban cities
- Most part of the country have basic electricity
- Road infrastructure and transportation is not very well developed in rural areas
- Drinking water is still a major problem in significantly vast rural regions
Culture:
- Religion has a very strong influence
- Personal relationship is more important than formal relationship
- Hierarchy and age are highly respected
- Indians almost never contradict or challenge superiors
- Age, education, caste and profession indicate status
- Accommodation is preferable than confrontation
- Social status & caste structure dominate position in society
- Generally extends warm hospitality
- A large numbers of Indians are vegetarians.
- Decision-making is generally at the top
- Works days are sometimes affected by traffic, family demands, bad weather or political condition
- More narrative and descriptive in thinking process, understanding and interpreting the message depends a lot on the context and culture
- Sometimes "no" or "I can not" is avoided with a more narrative response, which can be interpreted as too vague to westerners
Business environments & practices:
- Sometimes dress code may be more formal (however it is loosening now)
- Meeting environments are more formal and hierarchical
- In meetings, senior persons speak more
- Women generally group together
- Questions are often answered indirectly
- Indians sometimes do not say "thank you", or "please" which should not be interpreted as rudeness to westerners (these imply a distant relationship to Indians)
- Direct eye contact is traditionally avoided between opposite sexes
- Direct eye contact is also avoided during a conversation between junior and senior persons
- Head shaking sidewise does not necessarily mean "no", it may mean "may be" or "I understand what you say"
- Nodding does not necessarily mean "yes"
- Pointing is often considered impolite
- Traditional greeting used in India is "Namaste"
- People often address others with titles (Doctor, Professor, Mr., Mrs., Miss, etc.)
- Juniors often address seniors with "sir" or "madam".
- Hand shake is not usually appropriate between opposite sexes
- Normal business hours: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday; however a vast majority of people work for half a day on Saturdays
- Banking hours are much shorter
Building a Positive Relationship
- Relationship-building approach is more effective than a task-oriented approach
- Socializing with project team early in the assignment makes going smoother.
- Try to go to India to visit project team or invite project team to meet you if possible
- Try to have a common understanding of what "yes" really means.
- Encourage project team to ask questions
- Familiarize with project team's background, experience and skills
- Explain and clarify project goals, objectives and expectations in detail
- Make some time for occasional conversations
- Try to respect Indian gender roles
- Do not assume that western humor and jokes will be understood
- Promote trust through integrity
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