India's culture is very different to that of Westerners and it can be easy to cause offence if you do not learn about and understand the Indian way of conducting business

Dress smartly and modestly for business, but most importantly remember this is a country where the cow is revered. Wearing or carrying items made from leather such as shoes, belts, handbags etc may cause deep offence.

India enjoys a business environment that is quietly spoken and often indirect. You should never raise your voice to make a point, and standing with hands on hips is regarded as an aggressive pose. Likewise the word "no" is regarded as a harsh word and therefore refusals should be gentle along the lines of “I’ll try” or “I’ll see”.

Confusingly when Indians shake their heads it means that they DO understand and are following what you have said.

Both whistling and winking are seen as impolite.

In the Hindu religion, the head is seen as the seat of the soul and you should therefore never touch someone’s head even as a friendly or affectionate gesture.

The feet are considered unclean and if you accidentally touch someone with your foot you should apologise.

Indian households are unthinkingly hospitable and so do not thank your hosts after a meal as this is viewed as a kind of payment.

A strong sense of fatalism runs through Hindu culture and this may impact on the time it takes to make business decisions.

Source

Building4Jobs