India is a subcontinent similar in size to the European Union. It stretches from the tropical rainforests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the south to the high Himalayan peaks in the north. It is a land of wildly varying and sometimes extreme weather, the effects of which are magnified by poor infrastructure and power supply. Working within the dictates of climate and location is not just sensible-but essential. Climate should be a serious consideration when you plan your business trips to India; during the summer heat and humid monsoon months, India suffers the most power cuts, and doing business away from five-star hotels may become difficult. Avoid visiting the northern plains-including the cities of New Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, and Amritsar-from April to June, when they experience temperatures of 115 ºF (46ºC) or higher. Even the ever patient Indians can lose their temper in the extreme heat, and it is not conducive to fostering successful business relationships.
If you need to meet with Indian partners during the summer, it is worth remembering that India's middle-class business families often flee to the cooler climes of the old British hill stations, such as Mussoorie in the north, or Ooty in the south. Inviting them to visit your home country may be especially welcome at this time. Toward the end of June the monsoon brings relief from the heat, but its spectacular rains flood the roads and bring transportation to a standstill. The most benign weather runs from September to April, when temperatures and humidity levels plunge to those of a European or American spring or summer. India's Hindu majority is sharply divided into "castes" or classes, which in theory prescribe the social and career prospects open to a person. The caste system is one of the most divisive social and political issues facing India today: understanding its structure and relevance to society will ease many of your business interactions. There are four main castes-Brahmins (priests and teachers), Kshatriya (kings, warriors, and aristocracy), Vaisya (traders), and Sudra (laborers, servants). Dalits, or "untouchables," are considered too "unclean" to even be a formal part of the system. Caste can be an indicator of wealth or power, but it is unreliable.
The author of India's constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, was an "untouchable"; there are Dalit millionaires and chief ministers; there are political alliances between Dalits and Brahmins; and some Brahmins now live in poverty. Caste issues may sometimes explain rigidly hierarchical attitudes and conflicts among staff-especially where team members are required to work very closely together. While ideas of caste should not be indulged, you need to be aware of creating potential conflict; if you appoint a Dalit as a team leader, any Brahmins on the team may have difficulty accepting their orders. As a manager, you need to stress that career advancement is based on performance-not status or longevity-and that employee rights are applicable to all castes and genders. Ultimately, however, Hinduism is a practical religion, and caste will rarely stand in the way of a good deal. India is one of the world's most ethically diverse countries; around 80 percent of the population is Hindu, but there are also many Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Christians-all with different approaches to business. Hinduism is a highly practical faith that sets great store by the acquisition of wealth. It is common to see shopkeepers and other business people begin each day's work with a prayer to Ganesha, the elephantheaded god who removes obstacles, or Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and luck. Almost all new business ventures in Hindu India begin with prayers for Ganesha's blessing, and it is common to offer a Ganesha statuette as a gift to anyone setting out on a new project.
India's Muslim minority has a thriving business community, but a different approach to wealth and more restrictions on the manner in which money is made. Islam does not allow involvement in moneylending, and forbids the charging of interest. Consequently, Muslims in India have largely left banking and financial services to the Hindus. But religious obligations have not stopped Indian Muslims becoming some of the world's richest and most successful entrepreneurs. Azim Premji, CEO of Bangalore-based Wipro, one of India's biggest software companies, is an Ismaili Muslim who has amassed a fortune of US$17 billion. India's higher education system is so successful that one of the government's biggest fears is a "brain drain" of top university graduates to high-paying jobs overseas. While the government is considered not to have delivered in primary and secondary education, its higher education establishments-in particular the Indian Institutes of Management and Indian Institutes of Technology-are the envy of the continent.
India has more graduates-around 40 million-than most countries have people. Many are drawn from the elite fee-paying schools of the main cities and the oldstyle boarding schools, most of which are first class. It is increasingly common for "non-resident Indians" (NRIs) living in the West to send their children home to India for a high-quality, inexpensive, boardingschool education. Those who win a place at an Indian university are, by definition, the elite. A place at New Delhi University, especially St. Stephen's College, known as "India's Oxford," or Jawarharlal Nehru University-regarded as one of the best in the world- is often seen as preferable to one at a university in the US or Europe. But it is India's management and technology institutes that have won the plaudits, and attracted global recruitment companies. Seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were created by the government during the late 20th century, and there are plans to open a further eight. Admission to the institutes of management and the institutes of technology is highly competitive; this, coupled with rigorous academic practice and natural proficiency in English, produces the highest-caliber graduates. Recruiting these people is not cheap; in 2007-2008 it was common for high-fliers to be paid first salaries above US$100,000 and five-figure "signing on" bonuses.
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