New Delhi Business Customs

Over time, New Delhi has become an increasingly modern city. However, it remains chaotic and in many ways archaic in its customs. Learning what to expect beforehand can be critical to successful business travel.

The Importance Of Established Relationships

One of the most difficult aspects of business travel to New Delhi is the high premium that New Delhi businesspeople place on doing business with people they know. Trust is a valuable commodity, and business partners often start out as friends long before they enter into business together. Therefore, it is difficult for business travel and cold-calling to yield good results.

The best way to begin doing business in New Delhi is to be introduced by a mutual partner before your travel, or at the very beginning of your stay. If you can be introduced by someone who is trusted by your desired business partner and who has a history of trust with you, your credibility will be instantly boosted, placing you in a better position to be successful in your travel to New Delhi.

Scheduling Business Meetings

One of the most frustrating aspects of business travel to New Delhi is the possibility of meetings being cancelled or rescheduled at the last minute. If you are traveling from New York, London, or anywhere else sufficiently far from New Delhi, rescheduling can put quite a burden on your travel schedule. The best way to counteract the tendency to reschedule is to schedule meetings via mail at least two months in advance, then confirm a week in advance, and again the morning of the meeting. The best time to schedule a meeting is late in the morning or early in the afternoon, when most New Delhi businesspeople are likely to be in the office and available.

How To Negotiate

In New Delhi, negotiation centers around the idea of respect. It is considered impolite to publicly disagree with your negotiating team, and it is unthinkable to ever lose your temper. Always maintain at least a façade of calm; anything less, and your Indian business partners will begin to distrust you. In addition, try to avoid introducing too many legal documents within a meeting. In India, one's word is a sufficient guarantee, provided that business partners have sufficient trust supporting them.

Whenever you are discussing something in New Delhi, be prepared for it to take a very long time. A consensus is not reached quickly, and delays are very common, particularly if the government is involved at all. Be prepared to grant certain concessions, but also expect that concessions will be granted to you in return. Don't expect there to be obvious input from any Indian partners except the one with the most authority; generally, only the most senior partner will have the ability to make decisions. Overall, expect meetings to be slow and appear useless, with much time spent catching up and discussing as friends. But don't despair of your progress, as business travel to New Delhi involves building of relationships vital to business success. Simply ensure that a summary of what was decided in the meeting is presented at the end, and that everyone present knows exactly what is expected of them.