Business
Business Etiquette
For the visiting foreign businessperson, the principal advantage is that English (now well established as the international language of business) is the lingua franca. This is despite, or perhaps because of, the large number of languages that are spoken in India - there are 18 official ones and some 1,600 minor ones. Indeed, English is so widely spoken that most meetings will be conducted in this language and any lapse into a local tongue should perhaps raise a visitor’s suspicion that the speaker is not to be trusted. The business card is an important part of business life in India. Some people carry cards that are in effect a compressed CV and many are printed in two languages. A suit is considered the proper form of business dress in India. Business hours are generally 0930/1000 to 1700/1730.
Business entertaining is an integral part of Indian corporate life and potentially fraught with difficulty for the uninitiated. Foreign visitors should remember that Indians only eat with the right hand, although the left may be used to hold a plate or utensil. An invitation to an Indian home for dinner will be for 2030 to 2130, although many of the guests will not arrive until much later and dinner may not be served until after 2300. However, once dinner is over, the party is at an end and the guest may depart without giving offence. Drinking, especially at lunchtime, should be avoided until visitors are certain of the host’s opinion on the subject. Even then, alcohol should always be consumed in moderation.
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Business