If greeting a group, greet everyone individually and not as a whole group.
Bring and exchange small gifts to represent the home country.
Be open to answering numerous questions during small talk as Indians want to know the most about the people they work with in order to gain trust.
Introduce senior people first to respect the social hierarchy.
Both men and women have to dress modestly. Legs have to be covered for both men and women.
DON'TS
Don't eat food or pass objects using your left hand as Indians find that to be rude and unlucky.
Don't always order food that includes meat or beef. Many Indians are religious and most tend to be vegetarian or not eat beef. Have your options for food and catering open.
Don't point your finger or feet at people as it's considered dirty and rude.
Don't wear shoes inside. Indians find it very disrespectful and rude to wear shoes in a house which can typically occur when meeting investors during a private time.
India works in a polychronic manner. Time is not considered an objective for planning and scheduling one's business activities. It is more common for schedules and plans to be made while other activities, meetings etc., are happening simultaneously all at once.
In the topic of business, Indians tend to stay up to 3 feet away from each other. If meeting in public with investors, Indians will not care about personal space at all. India is a very populated country where there are people crowded everywhere, so it is expected for people to be okay with lack of space.
Businessmen tend to pat each other's backs and physically interact more as a sign of friendship. Although if a man and a woman were to do so, it would be considered flirting and would be looked down upon. They are expressive with the use of their gestures and body language.
Almost every Indian in business will know how to speak to others in English, so there should not be fear of a language barrier. Indian people are very verbal and formal. It is key to maintain eye contact are are efficient and straight forward regarding heir approach.
INDIVIDUALISM VS. COLLECTIVISM (48)
A clear collectivist country. More of a preference to belong in a large social framework. The actions of individuals are typically influenced by one's family, coworkers, neighbours and society as a whole. When they are rejected by their peers, they are thought lowly of by their friends and family which causes them to feel empty. Hiring and promotion decisions are often based on relationships which are key in a collectivist society.
UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE (40)
India scores medium to low uncertainty avoidance. India is a country where not everything has to go perfectly as planned. They exhibit a high tolerance for a difference of error, look forward to change instead of avoiding it, and value risk-taking.
MASCULINITY VS. FEMININITY (56)
India is known to be a very masculine country although the score of just 56. They value ambition and competitiveness. They visually display power, success, and achievements in the workplace.
