Comments on Doing Business in India
Comments on Doing Business in India
DJ Halcro
India with its one billion plus population, presents many opportunities for U.S. businesses with the right products, services, and commitment. India’s requirements for equipment and services for major sectors such as energy, environmental, healthcare, high-tech, infrastructure, transportation, and defense makes it one of the fastest growing markets in the world and the second fastest in Asia.
Indians and people from the west are working more closely together and in greater numbers than ever before. The opportunities are vast, and so is the cultural divide. Misunderstanding, misinterpretation, missed deadlines and frustration due to cultural differences can undermine success. This is almost always true in the International Market however India being the largest of the international markets where English is spoken widely some will confuse this as it is easier to make successful contacts. Westerners conducting business with Indians, and any Indian trying to figure out the West, needs to recognize the challenge exists as strongly if not more here.
The difference between the way Indians and Westerners use yes and no to the secrets of a successful conference call, to the changing status of women in the Indian workplace. The tremendous difference in the basic cultures, the history of the two cultures, the number of sects and cultures within the Indian Culture is enormous right down to the do’s and don’ts of daily interaction.
To be successful in doing business in any culture you must find the culture interesting, develop a love for the people, the culture, the food, history, be a student of everything you find and leave more than you take, remember we are guests.
I know of no other cross-cultural communication experts like the Foreign Commercial Office in the Embassy’s in India who can de-mystify what it takes to form successful partnerships in India. They know the hidden values and assumptions that govern not only the way a person / business from that culture communicate, but often the actual content of their message. Knowing how to communicate across cultures ensures more opportunity for success of the relationship. You can spend heavily to hire consultants to assist you and your project or use the Foreign Commercial Service options.
The US Foreign Commercial Service India will show you how to sort through the maze of companies as vendor variety, maturity, and value grow beyond the prototypical offering.
U.S. Commercial Service Offices is located in seven locations in India
Carmine D’Aloisio, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs
Dale Tasharski, Deputy Commercial Counselor
Marianne Drain, Commercial Officer
U.S. Commercial Service
The American Center
24 Kasturba Gandhi Marg
NEW DELHI1 110 001
Tel: 91-11-2331 6841; Fax: 91-11-2331 5172
E-mail: New.Delhi.office.box@mail.doc.gov2
Jim Cunningham, Principal Commercial Officer
U.S. Commercial Service
The American Center
4, New Marine Lines
MUMBAI3 400 020
Tel: 91-22-2265 2511: Fax: 91-22-2262 3850
E-mail: Mumbai.office.box@mail.doc.gov4
Mark Russell, Principal Commercial Officer
U.S. Commercial Service
American Consulate General
220 Mount Road
CHENNAI5 600 006
Tel: 91-44-2811 2034; Fax: 91-44-2811 2036
E-mail: Chennai.office.box@mail.doc.gov6
Aileen Nandi, Principal Commercial Officer
U.S. Commercial Service
The American Center
38-A, Jawaharlal Nehru Road
CALCUTTA7 700 071
Tel: 91-33-2288 1200; Fax: 91-33-2288 1207
E-mail: Calcutta.office.box@mail.doc.gov8
Sangeeta Taneja, Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service
JMC House, Suite # 41/42
Ambawadi, Opp. Parimal Garden
AHMEDABAD9 380 006
Tel: 91-79-656 5210/656 5216; Fax: 91-79-656 0763
E-mail: Ahmedabad.Office.Box@mail.doc.gov10
Leonard Roberts, Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service
S2, 2nd Floor, Red Cross Bhavan
26, Race Course Road
BANGALORE11 560 001
Tel: 91-80-2220 6401/2220 6404; Fax: 91-80-2220 6405
E-mail: Bangalore.office.box@mail.doc.gov12
P. Radhakishore, Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service
# 555, “E” Level, Taj Residency Hotel.
Road No. 1, Banjara Hills
HYDERABAD13 500 034
Tel: 91-40-2330 5000; Fax: 91-40-2330 0130
E-mail: Hyderabad.office.box@mail.doc.gov14
Links
1. http://www.buyusa.gov/india/en/144.html
2. mailto:New.Delhi.office.box@mail.doc.gov
3. http://www.buyusa.gov/india/en/143.html
4. mailto:Mumbai.office.box@mail.doc.gov
5. http://www.buyusa.gov/india/en/141.html
To get a sense of where to start, look at the situation from the vendor’s point of view. India today is an exceptionally competitive technology employment market, with more than 30% average annual growth since 2004. A casual review of job boards reveals tech positions with as many as 40+ vacancies each. India is also on the threshold of being one of the major markets in the International Arena.
As in any project you need a verified strategy to deliver and secure the right resources and partners for the right time at the right risk. A valid place to start is by evaluating vendors of every size on organizational maturity. Important issues include ensuring resource selectivity through recruitment screening processes, understanding the training and mentorship programs that establish and control quality, and most important, retention rates and strategies. The FCS office is able to assist you in this.
Real experience is important, too, but hard to get at, it’s unrealistic to think that any vendor has a team of seasoned consultants waiting to serve your needs. That means the staff assigned to your project may not have the experience needed with building the success of your project, they may have the desire but lack sufficient training. Make sure that key project roles are staffed by veterans. The FCS office will assist you in seeing this more clearly.
Keep in mind there’s nothing cultural about a sales professional over-promising and under performing. It happens every day, in all cultures. Interviewing offshore vendors does add some cultural factors. What is the true meaning of yes, and no, or rather the frequent lack of the use of NO in the drive to secure your business? There are many nuances in doing business internationally and this is especially true in India.
The FCS Office will provide background checks and filter out the potential partners which will save you time and money. The office will provide you with what the vendor(s) has done in depth and their reliability factor. This reveals true a truer picture of the competencies of the vendor. A clearer picture not only of the experience of the firm but at the track record of the key resources assigned to your project as possible and provides references.
I strongly advocate running a short, low-budget test project to begin with. The project will assist you in confirming compatibility and uncover potential issues.
A controversial and emotional subject among business leaders and workers in the global business community, outsourcing is fast becoming one of the greatest organizational and industrial shifts in history. Out sourcing production to India could provide Hawaiian companies a huge advantage in production fulfillment, low cost production, quality workmanship and well connected supply channel systems in place worldwide, at the same time allowing them to maintain their corporate base in Hawaii.
Never has there been a better time for U.S. companies to enter the Indian market.
