Business etiqette in mumbai

By Dr.Rajesh Patel,Director,NRV MBA
11/13/2011 4:09:53 AM 1
,email:1966patel@gmail.com

The etiquette of business is the set of written and unwritten
rules of conduct that make social interactions run more
smoothly. Office etiquette in particular applies to coworker
interaction, excluding interactions with external contacts such
as customers and suppliers. When conducting group meetings
in the United States, the assembly might follow Robert's Rules
of Order, if there are no other company policies to control a
meeting.

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Cultural differences
Etiquette is dependent on culture; what is excellent etiquette in one society may
shock another. Etiquette evolves within culture. The Dutch painter Andries Both
shows that the hunt for head lice (illustration, right), which had been a civilized
grooming occupation in the early Middle Ages, a bonding experience that
reinforced the comparative rank of two people, one groomed, one groomer, had
become a peasant occupation by 1630. The painter portrays the familiar
operation matter-of-factly, without the disdain this subject would have received
in a 19th-century representation.

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Appearance
Men are generally expected to wear a suit and tie for business,
although the jacket may be removed in the summer. Women should
wear conservative dresses or pantsuits.
When dressing casual, short-sleeved shirts and long pants are
preferred for men; shorts are acceptable only when exercising. Women
must keep their upper arms, chest, back, and legs covered at all times.
Women should wear long pants when exercising.
The use of leather products including belts or handbags may be
considered offensive, especially in temples. Hindus revere cows and do
not use leather products.

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Behavior
The head is considered the seat of the soul. Never touch someone else’s head, not even to
pat the hair of a child.
Beckoning someone with the palm up and wagging one finger can be construed as in insult.
Standing with your hands on your hips will be interpreted as an angry, aggressive posture.
Whistling is impolite and winking may be interpreted as either an insult or a sexual proposition.
Never point your feet at a person. Feet are considered unclean. If your shoes or feet touch
another person, apologize.
Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. If you receive a wrapped gift, set it aside until
the giver leaves.
Business lunches are preferred to dinners. Hindus do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork.

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Communications
There are more than fourteen major and three hundred minor languages spoken in India. The
official languages are English and Hindi. English is widely used in business, politics and education.
The word "no" has harsh implications in India. Evasive refusals are more common, and are
considered more polite. Never directly refuse an invitation, a vague "I’ll try" is an acceptable refusal.
Do not thank your hosts at the end of a meal. "Thank you" is considered a form of payment and
therefore insulting.
Titles are very important. Always use professional titles.

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As India's largest, most multicultural city, Mumbai is a
fairly liberal place and its business culture tends to be
informal and friendly—Mumbaikars are famous for
their chalta hain (laid-back) attitude. However,
traditions still hold in many areas of behaviour, and
it's wise to be prepared.

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Do not expect western levels of speed and efficiency.
Getting a document delivered by courier, sending a
fax, or simply gathering colleagues for a business
meeting can all take far longer than seems
reasonable. The same goes for punctuality: if
someone promises to meet you in ten minutes,
expect arrival in 20.

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Mumbai's traffic is notoriously bad: allow ample time
if you need to cross the city to get to a meeting. When
choosing your hotel, bear in mind where most of your
meetings will take place.

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A handshake is the most common form of greeting, but some women
prefer to press their palms together in a traditional namaste greeting. A
man should wait for a woman to extend her hand before extending his,
particularly if she is wearing traditional Indian clothing.

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Bring plenty of business cards; you will be
handing them out frequently, and not having
enough is considered rude.

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Mumbaikar professionals tend to speak good English, though often with
a heavy accent, imaginative grammar and liberal doses of local slang.
Asking someone to repeat himself is perfectly acceptable; correcting his
English is not.

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Indians often over-promise in an effort to please:
admitting a job is difficult to get done is often
considered rude or weak.

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Job descriptions in India tend to be strictly defined, in line
with the principle that a person's place in society is based on
what they do. This can extend to routine office tasks that
westerners are used to performing themselves. Be careful not
to step on toes.

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Men tend to wear business suits to meetings and lunches, but
often remove their jackets for dinner and at the office. Some
companies maintain “casual Fridays”.

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Breakfast meetings are rare; the working day tends to begin around
9.30-10am. Business lunches tend to be leisurely affairs: 90 minutes is
not uncommon.

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Many Indians are vegetarian for religious reasons. Meat-eating Hindus
will consume chicken and goat, but not beef or pork. Muslims will eat no
pork; more observant Muslims will only eat halal (ritually slaughtered)
meat. If you have invited someone to dinner, enquire about his eating
habits before ordering steak or spare ribs.

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Alcohol is usually avoided at lunch, less so at dinner. Indian women are
not always comfortable drinking in public or being in the company of
those who do.

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Favourite topics of conversation are politics, family, sport and
food. Commenting on Mumbai's poverty, slums or beggars
should be avoided.

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Although the city's official name is now “Mumbai” (and
politicians will favour the official term), many people still use
“Bombay” in conversation. Go with the flow.

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Particularly when money and data are being discussed, some Indian
terminology is commonly used, such as lakh (one lakh = 100,000) and
crore (one crore = 10m).

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Very little business gets done in Mumbai when a big cricket
match is on. Visitors would do well to catch up on cricket
news, especially the latest exploits of Sachin Tendulkar, a local
hero in Mumbai (he also owns Tendulkar's, a well-regarded
restaurant).

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The city's most important festival is Diwali (Festival of Lights)
in November, when business associates exchange small gifts
and boxes of sweets or dried fruits. It is considered especially
auspicious to start a new business or seal a deal at this time.

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Business etiqette in mumbai

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