A Brief Glimpses on Diversity of our India and our vast culture etc.

1. India –
The Land of Diversity
Agenda
• Factoids
– Geography, climate, demographics, languages, economy and
government
• Traveling tips
• Business and social etiquette
– Communication, decision making and management preferences
– Business protocol
– Business dress
– Greetings and conversation
– Names and titles
– Hospitality and gifts
– Eating etiquette and public behavior
• Panel discussion
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2. ArvinMeritor’s Presence in India
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Why India?
• Tremendous growth and expansion opportunities
• Our customers are doing business in India
• Our competitors have a presence in India and have significant
business initiatives in place
• Significant cost savings opportunities
• As of the year 2003, India's purchasing power parity was U.S.
$3.033 trillion, with a real growth rate of 8.3 percent
• ArvinMeritor operates in a global economy – we cannot rely soley
on North American and European markets to remain profitable
and competitive
• A vast number of Indians are fluent in English
• The auto component industry has grown by 17 percent in the last
five years
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3. Given its vastness and variety,
y,
there is no single way
to understand India
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Geography
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3

4. Climate
• Most of India has a tropical or subtropical climate, with
little
littl variation in temperature between seasons
i ti i t t b t
• Northern plains have a greater temperature range,
with cooler winters and hotter summers
• Mountain areas have cold winters
and cool summers – as elevations
increase sharply in the mountains,
climate type can change from
subtropical to polar within a
few miles
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Demographics
• Seventh largest country in the world
• Second most populous country in the world (after China)
d l h ld ( f h )
• Population of more than 1 billion
• Median age of 24
• 40 percent of the population falls in the
range of 20-44 years old
• 70 percent of the population lives
in villages
g
• Has one of the largest populations
of technically qualified manpower
– 15 million doctors, engineers
and scientists
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5. Languages
• 18 constitutionally recognized major languages
• 1,600 other languages and dialects
• Hindi is the official language, spoken by 30 percent of
the population
• English is the co-official language
– It is the common language
used in business situations
– It is spoken by most of the
educated Indian class
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Economy
• The Bombay Stock Exchange has around
6,500 listed companies, which is second only
to NYSE
• Allows and encourages foreign investments in
most industries except a few strategic ones
• Holds the third-largest investor base in the
world
• Among the only six countries in the world to
develop its own satellite-launch technology
• With more th 800 movies a year, it
than i
produces the largest number of movies in
the world
– There are more than 13,000 movie
theaters in the country
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6. Economy
• In recent years, India has also emerged as a global
player in Information Technology and IT Enabled
l i I f ti T h l d E bl d
Services (ITES)
• Since 2001-02, India has emerged as the sourcing hub
for almost all global automobile companies
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Government Structure
• Is the world's largest
democracy, with an
d ith
electorate of more than
600 million people
• Federal structure is divided
into 28 states and seven
union territories
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7. Traveling to India – Tips
• Passport valid at least six months and Visa required by all
• Currency exchange:
– Exchange can be made at banks, airports or
authorized money changers
– Illegal to exchange money through
unauthorized money changers
– U.S. dollars and pounds sterling are easiest exchange
• American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted
Express Club
• Travelers checks widely accepted and may be changed at banks
– To avoid additional charges, travelers should take checks in
U.S. dollars or pounds sterling
• Import of local currency and export of Indian currency is prohibited
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Traveling to India – Risks
• It is recommended that travelers drink bottled water
while visiting India
India.
• Milk is not pasteurized in rural areas, but in the
cities and towns you can purchase pasteurized milk
• Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably
served hot
• Most Indian food may be considered spicy and could upset your
stomach if you’re not used to the spices
• Y can request th t l
You t that less spice i used to prepare your meal at
i is dt l t
restaurants
• Health-care facilities are available in the larger cities
– India is a country with a high number of medical doctors
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8. Indian
Business Etiquette
Communication Preferences
• Indians use many non-verbal cues when sending and interpreting
messages
• Indians will go to great lengths to avoid public conflict and
embarrassment or to save face
– Indians rarely use the word “no,” fearing that such direct refusal
appears rude and could ruin the long-term business relationship
– Most Indians say “yes” and try hard to please the other person
• Indians may use many physical gestures to complement their verbal
communication
– I b i
In business relations, men and women maintain distance when greeting
l ti d i t i di t h ti
and speak without physical contact
– Indian men may put their hands together and bow when greeting
women
• In business dealings, Indians address their coworkers with titles
instead of first names
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9. Decision-Making Preferences
• In India, the highest-ranking officials make decisions
• If top decision makers are absent few if any decisions will be
absent, few, any,
made
• Trust is fundamental to the Indian decision-making process
• Indians make decisions only after they have evaluated their
potential business partners by observing them at parties,
receptions and dinners
– A strong relationship with the top decision maker can
drastically reduce negotiation time
– It is important to include other team members because even
though Indians may defer to the decision maker, offense may
be taken if interest is shown to only certain members of the
team
• Decision making typically occurs at a slow pace
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Management Preferences
• Management style is authoritarian in traditional family-owned
businesses
• Multinational firms in India support EI management practices
• Relationship management
– Teamwork in India is common, and Indians tend to be effective
team members
– Very versatile
• Task management
– Indians expect to cultivate long term business relationships
long-term
– Indians prefer that plans are presented as an integrated system of
interrelated parts (as in a holistic model)
– Indians engaged in long-term planning will take cues from the
past in order to construct plans for the future
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10. Management Preferences
• Time management
– When a project is assigned it is more important to complete the
assigned,
project well than complete it on time
– Indians are willing to work on several tasks at one time, since the
number of responsibilities communicates one’s importance
– Indians would rather work on projects after they become urgent
– Unless it has been specified that the deadline is critical as
opposed to general, Indians assume that timelines are open to
change as circumstances arise
– A foreign businessperson should allow several more days in India
than expected to finish business
– Foreign managers in India must emphasize the importance of a
deadline if they wish to see a project completed on time.
Otherwise, they should be prepared to wait for employees to
complete the task on their own terms.
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Business Protocol
• Hierarchy matters in India
• Seniority, age and authority are respected in India,
both in business and in public life
• As a sign of respect, the subordinates stand up when
the boss enters the meeting room
• Women executives, in senior positions, are a relatively
new phenomenon in the Indian business environment
p
• If you are a woman, you will find people respectful and
courteous
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11. Business Negotiation
• The pace of business meetings is far more relaxed than
in
i some of the Western countries
f th W t ti
• Indians do not directly jump into business negotiations
• Showing hospitality is a part of the negotiation
process. Often, meetings start by offering tea/coffee
and snacks (it is courteous to accept the offer)
• Indians tend to take larger risks with
g
a person whose intentions they trust –
one's credibility and trustworthiness
are critical in negotiating a deal
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Business Dress
• Normal business dress for men is
a suit and tie
• Since India is warm, a full-sleeved
shirt with a tie is also acceptable
• In most companies, particularly in
the IT sector, the dress code is
much more casual
• For foreign women, pantsuits or
long skirts, which cover the knees,
are acceptable to wear
• For women a salwar suit is also
women, salwar-suit
acceptable for business dress
• One can wear casual dress if invited to a social gathering
• If a foreigner wears an Indian costume (kurta-pajama for men,
and sari or salwar-suit for women), it is appreciated and seen as a
gesture of friendship
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12. Greetings
• The traditional way of greeting is performed by
holding your palms together, as in praying and
together praying,
saying “namaste” (nah-mas-tay) or “namaskar”
(nah-mas-kar), with a slight bow
• While the namaste or namaskar are Hindu ways
of greeting, they are also accepted among all
other communities
• Among Muslims, the traditional greeting is “assalaam-wale-kum”
(may peace be on you) which is responded to by saying “wale-
you), wale
kum-salaam” (may peace be on you, too)
• Sikhs traditionally greet each other by saying “sat-siree-akaal”
• Shaking hands with women, since it involves physical touch, is not
universally accepted in Indian society
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Business Conversation
• In general, Indians are open and friendly
• Discussing one's family and personal life is normal
among Indians
• Indians seldom express
their disagreement in a
direct manner
• Open disagreement is
p g
likely to be interpreted
as being hostile
and aggressive
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13. Business Conversation
• Popular conversation topics are politics, cricket, movies
and Indian economic reforms
d I di i f
• It is important to appreciate India as an ancient and
rich civilization, and most Indians are proud of their
heritage
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Names and Titles
• It is advisable to prefix the name with a “Mr.”, “Mrs.”
or “Mi ” or the professional title of the person
“Miss”, th f i l titl f th
(“Doctor” or “Professor”)
• Regional differences:
– North India: women adopt the husband’s family name
after marriage
– South India: women adopt the husband s first name
husband’s
after marriage
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14. Names and Titles
• Regional differences:
– North India:
• Mr. Praveen Chandra Kulkarni will be addressed as Mr. Kulkarni
or as Praveen, if the relationship is informal
– South India:
• Men do not have a family name. Instead, the name of one's
father and/or the ancestral village/town is used for the purpose
• The name Kamundari Ranganthan Suresh will be written as K. R.
Suresh
Ancestral place is Kamundari
Father's name is Ranganathan
His first name is Suresh
He will be addressed as Mr. Suresh – or if the relationship is
informal, as just Suresh
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Hospitality
• Hospitality is a key value in Indian culture
• Indians normally go out of their way to accommodate
the requirements of the guests
• A foreigner visiting India is likely to receive social
invitations from even minor acquaintances – Indians
like to make a visitor feel comfortable
• “Drop in anytime” is a genuine invitation
p y g
• It is normal among Indians to “drop in” for a social
visit
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15. Business Gifts
• Gift giving is customary and is seen as a sign of
friendship
• Use red, yellow, green or blue-colored wrapping
paper – white and black colors are considered
inauspicious
• Normally, gifts are not opened in the presence of
the giver
• If you have worked or lived with Indians, a
framed photograph with them as a gift would be
viewed as a warm and friendly gesture
• If you are invited to an Indian's home for dinner,
you must take some kind of gift, such as a box of
sweets (like the ones sampled here today) or
flowers
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Eating Etiquette
• Eating and drinking are intimately tied to Indian customs and religion
• For a large number of Indian Hindus, eating meat is a “religious” taboo
religious
• While planning a meal for your Indian guests (or placing an order in a
restaurant), ask if they are vegetarians or non-vegetarians
• Non-vegetarian Hindus do not eat beef, and Muslims do not eat pork
• Muslims eat meat that is “halal” or ritually slaughtered
• Jains eat cereals and lentils, but do not eat meat, honey or even most
vegetables
• Traditional Indian dishes are eaten with the hands – when it is necessary
to use your hands, use only your right hand, as the left hand is
y , yy g ,
considered unclean
• Drinking is prohibited among Muslims, Sikhs and in many other Indian
communities
• Among urban educated Indians, this is not strictly observed
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16. Eating Etiquette
• Even guests who drink will not drink alcohol on certain occasions
such as religious festivals or if there is an elder, highly respected
relative present
• Traditional Indian women, regardless of their religion, don't
smoke or drink
• Remember, most Indian dishes are quite spicy to the western
palate
• While ordering Indian food, you might want to ask the
waiter/steward how spicy a given dish will be
• I many I di homes and places of worship, one is expected to
In Indian h d l f hi i t dt
remove his or her shoes before entering
• Observing this custom is particularly important if you or your
family have received a personal invitation or if the function you
are attending is a familial one
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Unity in Diversity
“We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count,
without which no worthwhile scientific discovery
ou o o d o y
could have been made.”
-Albert Einstein
“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of
human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother
of l
f legend, and the great-grandmother of t diti
d d th t d th f tradition.
Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the
history of man are treasured in India only.”
-Mark Twain
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