This is a country briefing article. The author will provide a briefing on the republic of India to foreign business team members who have little knowledge about India. First, the report will give the general information about India, which includes the geographic location of the country, its climate, and type of government, the currency used and the caste system. This article will further address the social customs and manners in India. In this section, the author will include aspects such as how Indians greet and treat each other, the country’s dressing code, gift-giving, tipping, etiquette and manners attitudes toward foreigners. The author will also provide India’s business customs and behaviors. Under this section, the author will discuss what happens during first meetings, business meetings, attitudes towards women and older workers. Lastly, the article will provide the readers with a summary of the entire article.

General Country Information

Geographic location

India is a country found in South Asia. The county occupies a total area of 3, 287, 590 sq. Km with a landmass of 2,973,190 sq. Km (Aukland, 2018). India is the seventh-largest nations and second most populous (one billion people). The country borders Indian oceans on the south, the Bay of Bengal on the southeast and the Arabian Sea to the south-west. India shares land borders with Nepal, Bhutan and China to the north; Pakistan to the west and Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east. The country’s capital city is New Delphi, and its largest cities are Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. Close to thirteen million people live in India’s capital city.

Religion and history

Religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Hinduism originated from India. India’s diverse culture was formed by those who migrated to the country, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam and many more. A border that crosses over between medicine and religion, like cosmic energy, also originated from the country. Since India gained independence in 9147, significant strides in military and economic development have been noted, and towards the end 20^th century, India’s economy started proliferating (Aukland, 2018). One significant pressing challenges India faces to date is the high rates of illiteracy and poverty.

Languages

India has the largest democracy in the world. The main economic activity of the country is agriculture, though it also has relatively large steel and Iron industry and it manufactures all types of goods. There are 17 major languages with dialects adding up to 844 (Sonntag, 2016). India’s languages belong to many language families with the Indo-European languages Indo Aryan taking the lead (with 72 percent of Indians speaking it), the Dravidian languages comes second where 25 percent of Indians speaks it. The Tibeto-Burman, Austro-Asiatic, few minor language families and isolates speak the remaining languages. Standard Hindi and English are the commonly used languages. According to India’s constitution, “The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script”(Jha, 2018) However, the constitution or laws do not specify a national language, a notion supported by the High Court.

Government structure

India has two main religions which are Muslim and Hinduism. However, the country has other small religions such as Christianity, Buddhists, Jains, Parsees and Sikhs. India’s climate is temperate in the north and tropical in the south. India is the Federal Republic headed by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime minister Narendra Modi. The country has 28 states, six Union territories and National capital territory of Delhi. The 28 states and 2 Union territories (Delhi and Puducherry) elect their government. The rest of the Union are controlled by an administrator appointed by the Central Government. India has more than 600 districts which are divided further to Tanuki, which are smaller administrative units.

Class structure

India maintains a distinct class structure known as the caste which has lasted for ages. There are four classes in India. These are the Brahmins (priestly people), the Kshatriyas (comprised of warriors, rulers and administrators), the Vaishyas (consisting of merchants, artisans, farmers and tradespeople) and Shudras who are the laborers. The caste system has commanded almost all aspects of Hindu social and religious life (Kolenda, 2017).

Social Customs and Manners

Greetings and forms of proper address

In several parts of India, people commonly greet one another with the Hindu greeting of “Namaste.” A bow or nod of the head follows after that; however, this depends on one’s status. An ordinary gesture during greeting involves pressing the palms firmly with the fingerprints pointing upwards. This form of greeting is followed with a slight bow. Verbal greeting differs between religions and varies depending on the relationships of people. For instance, Gujarati greeting is “Kem Cho,” meaning “How are you?” Indians greet by shaking hands, followed by the phrase “Salaam” It is usual for men and women to shake hands, but men are required to wait until the women extend her hand first. People who know each other well can kiss or hug. The elderly or seniors are greeted first and people addressed by their title (Mr., Mrs., Doctor and many more) accompanied by their last name (Kolenda, 2017). If you want to show respect, you can add a gender honorific “Ji” onto a person’s first name, or you can use an inanimate or a group objects (like Madjavji).

Dress code

India’s dressing code varies significantly in different parts of the country. It is normal to see draped, flowing outfits, like the dhoti for men and sari for women. Presently, the passion for shiny bright colors and ostentatious jewellery and accessories in females has become more apparent. Men and women staying in urban centers put on western-influenced clothes. In businesses, men put on suits and ties.

Tipping

Tips in India are commonly known as baksheesh and are optional. Tips do not adhere to any guidelines and ones you travel through the country; you quickly catch on enough. In India, a tip is around 10% (Budhwae et al., 2017). Like any other country, exact numbers in India subject to discussion and relies on the quality of service rendered. Everything in India is tipped using the Indian rupee.

Gift giving

India’s gift-giving custom especially if invited to an Indian home, involves buying the host or hostess some small gift of flowers or chocolates. Colors like black or white are regarded as unlucky in India. Therefore, gifts should be wrapped in bright colors like red, green and yellow. When presented by gifts, they should not be opened next to the gift giver. Money issued on occasion should be an odd number value. For instance, give $201 instead of $100 (Sonntag, 2018). This is considered good luck. Alcoholic products and products made from pigskin should are not issued as gifts to Muslims. Gifts like electronic gadgets, bandages, knives, computer disks and soup mix are highly appreciated in India. Other gifts welcome in India include perfumes, disposable razors, household items and toiletries are also unique gifts in India.

Attitude towards foreigners

Foreigners who have travelled to India always share their outrageous experiences in the country. This has made the Indian hospitality to earn an international reputation. In general, Indians are exceptionally hospitable.

Naming

In India, names given to people and places have a specific meaning. Hindus give names based on the horoscopes. Among close friends and family, people are given nicknames. These nicknames can begin from childhood to adulthood. People can also have religious names. For instance, people who eventually become part of the Sikh community can adopt a ‘Khalsa’ name, where men are called ‘Singh’ and ‘Kaur’ for women (Chauhan & Arokiasamy, 2018).

Etiquette and manners

In a diverse country like India, religious and linguistic groups have their definition of what constitutes reasonable or respectful behavior. The feet are regarded as the dirtiest part of the body. Anyone’s soles must not point to another person, towards a deity or temple. People sit in a way to avoid this. The top of the body is the most crucial part of the human body. Touching a person on the top of the head viewed as insensitive and rude (Cohn, 2017). One is expected to touch the feet of an elder, a deity or religious leader as a sign of utmost respect. Do not sit higher than an elder. If an elder is seated on the floor, you should also sit on the floor. When eating using your fingers, always use the right hand even if you are left-handed because the left hand is considered unclean.

Business Customs and Behaviors

First meetings

If you are meeting someone for the first time in India, a third party should do an introduction. Solid business relationships are created on a personal foundation. Therefore, an introduction did mutual acquaintance positions one in good stead. In all business environments, handshakes are the standard greeting (Budhwar et al., 2017). When meeting a group of people, each person must be greeted individually and not as a group. Following India’s hierarchical social structure, the eldest person in the group is greeted first.

Business meetings

In India, a workday begins at 10 am, but in major cities, it can start earlier. It is good manners in India to be late slightly (Budhwar et al., 2017). However, for those Indian business people who deal with westerners may require you to be punctual. Exchanging business cards and little gifts like sweets are normal. Touching except when the greeting is considered rude. Men mostly wear suits and ties and long skirts or pant-suits in women. When addressing Indian people, beware of your body language. Always avoid aggressive postures, like hands-on-hips, folded arms, pointing to other people or putting your feet up on furniture. Business decisions in Indian are not made instantly. Therefore, frustrations and delays are a common characteristic in most business discussions.

Attitude toward women workers

In India, things are changing rapidly, and the attitudes towards men and women at workplaces are now similar. Education and experience are considered most than just gender during the hiring process or job promotion (Saxena et al., 2018). In every position, women occupy top positions close to all professional fields. However, unlike men, women face many hurdles before they get to these positions. For instance, in many rural and semi-urban communities, girl-child education is not significant despite education being free in India for anyone below 14 years.

Attitude toward older workers

Age is a significant detriment in the Indian workforce. Older worker faces a lot of discrimination from their employers. Most managers argue that the older workforce is less productive because they are slow at learning new things and apply them at work. Since India is the home of iron and steel industries, older workers take more time off sick than the younger workforce. In some instances, when these older workers go to interviews, they are termed as “overqualified” and “inflexible” (Saxena et al., 2018). Employers use these terms to such terms because they fear to lose such workers within a short span.

Summary

This article has provided a clear and concise briefing of the Republic of India. The Republic of India is one of the South Asian countries. It is the Federal Republic headed by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime minster Narendra Modi. The country is made up of 28 states, six Union territories and National capital territory of Delhi. India shares borders with Nepal, Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. India is the home of Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism (Aukland, 2018). The country has made significant progress in its military and economy. Throughout the world, India has the largest democracy.

The country is home to more than a billion people, where a majority of the population resides in the major cities; Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. These people speak more than 844 dialects with the largest being the Indo-European languages Indo Aryan. The country is characterized by a diverse culture that stems from its religions. India heavily relies on agriculture as its leading economic activities, but it also a leader in the steel and iron industries, among others. The climate of the country ranges from temperate to tropical. The dominant religions in India are Hinduism and Muslim. While the main languages used are Standard Hindi and English.

The country’s social customs and manners are discussed based on how Indians greet and address one another with the ordinary Hindu greeting being “Namaste” then followed by a bow or nod of the head (Kolenda, 2017). How Indians dress varies depending on the occasion. However, outfits like the dhoti for men and sari for women are the commonest. When it comes to tipping, India has only ten percent. Gift giving is like a norm in India. No matter how small your gift is, Indians always appreciate. Other social customs include attitudes towards foreigners, naming and etiquette.

In the business customs and behaviors, several aspects are discussed. This section begins with how first meetings occur in business. Handshakes are the standard greetings. Business meetings take places officially at 10 am but differ depending on who or the organization you are dealing with.

References

Aukland, K. (2018). Repackaging India’s Sacred Geography: Travel Agencies and Pilgrimage-Related Travel. Numen, 65(2-3), 289-318.

Budhwar, P., Kumar, R., & Varma, A. (2017). Indian Business.

Cohn, B. S. (2017). Notes on the History of the Study of Indian Society and Culture. In Structure and Change in Indian society (pp. 3-28). Routledge.

Chauhan, S., & Arokiasamy, P. (2018). India’s demographic dividend: state-wise perspective. Journal of Social and Economic Development, 20(1), 1-23.

Jha, R. (2018). Critical Aspects of India’s Population, Land and Labor. In Facets of India’s Economy and Her Society Volume I (pp. 31-72). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Kolenda, P. M. (2017). The region, Caste, and Family Structure: A comparative study of the Indian “joint” family. In structure and change in Indian society (pp. 339-396). Routledge.

Saxena, G. K., Sharma, M. G. P. K., & Law, P. S. (2018). POSITION OF WOMEN IN VEDIC, POST-VEDIC, BRITISH, AND CONTEMPORARY INDIA. The Law Brigade (Publishing) Group.

Sonntag, S. K. (2016). 15 Linguistic Diversity in India’s Polity and Economy. The Economics of Language Policy, 469.

Country Briefing

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