India Briefing
Abstract
This is a country-briefing article. I will give a briefing on the republic of India to foreign business team members who have little knowledge about India. First, the report will provide 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, I will include aspects such as how Indians greet and treat each other, the country’s dressing code, and gift-giving, tipping, etiquette and manners, and attitudes toward foreigners. I will also provide India’s business customs and behaviors. Under this section, I 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 nation 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, to the west is Pakistan, and to the east is Myanmar and Bangladesh. 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. Those who migrated to the country, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam, and many more, formed India’s diverse culture. A border that crosses over between medicine and religion, like cosmic energy, also originated from the country. From 1947 when India gained independence, significant strides in military and economic development have been noted. India’s economy started proliferating towards the end 20th century (Aukland, 2018). However, high rates of illiteracy and poverty are significant pressing challenges India faces to date.
Languages
There are 17 major languages with 844 dialects (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 come second where 25 percent of Indians speak it. The Tibeto-Burman, Austro-Asiatic, minor language families, and isolates speak the remaining languages. Hindi and English are commonly used languages. According to India’s constitution, “The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script”(Jha, 2018). The constitution or laws do not specify a national language.
Government structure
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 the National capital territory of Delhi. The 28 states and 2 Union territories (Delhi and Puducherry) elect their governments. An administrator appointed by the Central Government controls the rest of the Unions. 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. India’s caste has four classes. 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, “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, followed by a slight bow. Verbal greeting differs between religions and varies depending on the relationships of people. For instance, Gujarati’s greeting is “Kem Cho,” meaning, “How are you?” Indians shake 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 as you recognize their titles (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 add an inanimate, or 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, ostentatious jewelry, and accessories in females is 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 when traveling 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 rely on the quality of service rendered. Everything in India is tipped using the Indian rupee.
Gift giving
India’s gift-giving custom, especially in Indian homes, involves buying the host some small gifts like flowers or chocolates. Black or white colors signal bad luck 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 occasions like celebrations should be an odd number value, such as $201 and not $200 (Sonntag, 2018). This is a sign of good luck. Alcoholic products and commodities 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 welcomed in India include perfumes, disposable razors, household items, and toiletries.
Attitude towards foreigners
Foreigners who have visited India leave the country outrageous experiences. This ranges from a variety of foods, fantastic geography, and the courtesy of the people. As such, India’s hospitality has earned 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 varying definitions of what constitutes reasonable or respectful behaviors. The feet are the dirtiest part of the body. Anyone’s soles must not point to another person, towards a deity or temple. People sit away from these places. The top of the head is the most crucial part of the human body. Touching a person on the top of the head is insensitive and rude (Cohn, 2017). Individuals touch the feet of an elder, a deity, or a religious leader as a sign of utmost respect. Sitting higher than an elder is wrong. If an elder sits on the floor, you should also sit on the floor. When eating using your fingers, always use the right hand because the left hand is unclean.
Business Customs and Behaviors
First meetings
When meeting someone for the first time in India, a third party should do an introduction. Indians believe solid business relationships originate from a personal foundation. In all business environments, handshakes are the standard form of 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, Indian business people who deal with westerners require you to be punctual. Exchanging business cards and little gifts like sweets is normal. However, it is rude to touch and hold each other when greeting. Men mostly wear suits and ties and women put on long skirts or pantsuits. When addressing Indians, individuals have to beware of their body language and aggressive postures, like hands-on-hips, folded arms, pointing to other people, or putting your feet up on the furniture. Additionally, in India, business decisions are not instant. 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. During the hiring process or job promotion, education, and experience is critical compared to gender issues (Saxena et al., 2018). 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 into anyone aged 14 years and below.
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 due to the nature of the job in these places. Sometimes, older workers encounter terms like “overqualified” and “inflexible” at job interviews (Saxena et al., 2018). Employers use these terms because they fear to lose such workers within a short span after recruitment.
Transportation and Telecommunications
Roads and Railways
India has a superb transport system. Although India’s railroads have bared the burden of transporting the bulk of goods, road and motorized transport is now taking the lead. India has 62,800 Km of railroad owned by the government (Barman et al., 2018). The Railway administration manages nine regional subsystems. Discussions are ongoing about shifting from the current steam and diesel railway engines to electric-propelled engines. Electrified lines are critical for urban commuters.
Water transport
The central government manages major ports led by Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai, while states manage minor ports and intermediate ports. The Shipping Corporation of India owns large ships (Barman et al., 2018). India’s navigable inland waters such as rivers and a few canals are owned commercially.
Telecommunications
The state dominates the telecommunications section. Telephone lines are concentrated in urban areas and are relatively few throughout the country. The majority of rural villages and towns do not have telephone services. Several vendors offer cellular telephone services in major towns and cities. The government dominates radios and televisions via the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Barman et al., 2018). Personal computers are relatively fewer due to the country’s population. However, many people have internet service subscriptions and cybercafes in big towns.
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 the 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 since its independence. Throughout the world, India has the largest democracy.
The country is home to more than a billion people. These people speak more than 844 dialects, with the largest being the Indo-European languages Indo Aryan. The country’s diverse culture 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 Muslims. While the main languages used are 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. Gift giving is like a norm in India. No matter how small the gift Indians always appreciate. Other social customs include attitudes towards foreigners, naming, and etiquette.
The country has distinguished transportation and telecommunications in the form of roads, railways, and waterways. In the business customs and behaviors, several aspects are discussed. This section begins with how first meetings occur in business. Handshakes are the standard form of greetings. Business meetings take place 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.