India

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Light handshakes are common after the initial "Namaste". Sometimes the Namaste alone will suffice.

Woman greeting Woman - Light handshakes are common after the initial "Namaste". Sometimes the Namaste alone will suffice.

Greetings between Men & Women - In formal and business situations it is usually best to let the women initiate contact, if at all. Many Indian women will avoid contact with men in public situations. The "Namaste" is the most common form of greeting.

Note: Most all meetings generally begin with palms pressed together at around chest level and saying, “Namaste” or “Namaskar” (which is more formal). People usually nod or bow slightly as well.

When greeting an elder, there is also a touching of the feet of the elder, with the right hand, then touching your chest. After this, is the palms pressed together. Foreigners are not expected to do this, but should when meeting those of extremely high status like a religious leader or guru.

Hugs and kisses as a form of greeting should be avoided.

Communication Style

• When communicating it’s often the case that Indians will tell you what you want to hear in order to be polite. It’s best to be patient and see what actions follow the communication.
• Indians tend to favor an indirect style of communication over direct.

Personal Space & Touch

• The comfortable amount of personal space during conversations in India varies with different sub-cultures. In general Hindus tend to stand about 3 or 3 ½ feet apart.
• Indians are not too conscious of their personal space on trains & buses where everyone is usually squashed together.
• Indians do not generally touch as part of communication, although it is common to see male friends holding hands or with their arms around each other when they walk. This is usually a sign of friendship.
• Men and women hardly ever display any form of physical affection in public. Touching of any kind between men and women especially when not related can be interpreted as flirting.
• Cupping the face of someone in your hands to show affection is common in families, especially between mothers and children.

Eye Contact

• Sustained eye contact is not generally the norm, especially a woman looking at a man.
• If doing business, it’s not uncommon to keep eye contact, but it may seem odd to hold it intently for a while. The best option is to look away or even down once in a while. This can be accomplished effortlessly be simply using the looking away as a chance to gather your thoughts.
• Note that as a foreigner, one can expect to be stared at. Especially in rural areas.
• When communicating with elders it is common to use indirect eye contact.
• Direct eye contact is becoming a little more acceptable in the cities but in some parts of the country it can be inappropriate and rude to have direct eye contact. Especially for women to give eye contact to the husbands.

Gestures

• It is common to remove one's shoes at places of worship, when visiting people's homes, and even in certain shops and businesses. A good rule to follow is if you see shoes arranged near the door, take yours off as well.
• People beckon one another by extending an arm and making a scratching motion with their fingers, palm facing down.
• The head wobble, which is very common throughout the country can mean "yes" and not "no". It depends on the angle and expression and the speed to determine which is which.
• Pointing with one finger is common.
• One usually always eats with the right hand as the left hand is considered unclean.

Views of Time

• There is a well-accepted joke among Indians about IST (Indian Standard Time). This basically means that if you have an appointment at noon, you can expect to have your party arrive or for the meeting to begin anywhere from 30 minutes to a day later. It’s best to expect at least an hour delay (although you should be punctual within about 15 minutes).
• Time is viewed as eternal. Indians usually have a “chalta hain” or a relaxed attitude. It is not usually considered rude to be late in social situations.
• Trains and buses don’t really run on time. People give their time freely for the most part.

Gender Roles

• Depending on the area, women’s rights are either established, dawning, or basically non-existent.
• Smaller, rural areas see women as caregivers, mothers, and not much more, although Women’s Rights groups are beginning to crop up.
• More progressive areas like the state of Kerala have women’s roles comparable to men.
• Foreign women are given more slack in terms of dress, but travelers should wear whatever clothing is accepted in that region.
• Some areas do experience “eve teasing,” or sexual harassment. This is not as common in cities.
• Accepted roles are generally a housewife, mother, homemaker etc. In villages women are usually involved in cottage industries, farming etc.
• Traditional Indian women do not drink or smoke.

Taboos

• Lewd behavior and even simple PDA (public displays of affection) are highly frowned upon.

• Avoid touching people or moving/passing objects with your shoes.

• Winking and whistling should be avoided.

• Grasping the ears signifies sincerity or repentance, since ears are considered sacred, pulling or boxing ones ears is a grave insult.

Law & Order

• Alcohol consumption prohibited in some states and banned in some cities deemed "holy".
• The drinking age ranges from 18-25 depending on which area of the country you are in. One can usually buy alcohol without an ID as well as cigarettes.
• The legal smoking age is 18.
• Drugs are illegal in India. Possession of small amounts can carry a mandatory 10 year sentence. Drug laws are heavily enforced. Drunken driving is also looked upon strictly.

Dress

• Dress is quite conservative for both men and women.
• For men: conservative, dark colored suits. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off if possible.
• For women: conservative business suits or dresses and blouses are appropriate. Avoid tight fitting, short shirts, and sleeveless attire. Dresses should not reveal too much of the legs. Usually traditional dress like the “salwar kameez” or “sari” is acceptable.
• Dress in hotter seasons and parts of the country tends to be less formal.
• Jeans and business casual attire are not recommended for a first meeting.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are very important and it is best to address people directly by using their professional title or Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname.
• It's best to wait to be invited before using someone's first name.
• Business cards are usually handed out after the initial handshake and greeting.
• Always present and receive business cards with your right hand.

Meetings

• Arrive at meetings on time even though you may be kept waiting
• Meetings usually begin with a fair amount of small-talk and many times no business is discussed in the initial meeting.
• Good topics of conversation include marital status, family, your educational background, where you grew up, sports.
• Avoid topics such as politics, religions, the caste system, the Kashmir region.
• It is best to send along a proposed agenda and/or supplemental materials in advance of the meeting.
• As India is a very hierarchical society, it is best to defer to the most senior person in the room.

Negotiations

• Indians are non-confrontational and value relationship building and harmony so avoid hard selling, pressure tactics and any sort of conflict or confrontation.
• Decisions can take time and are usually made by the most senior person.
• Do not disagree publicly with members of your negotiating team, maintain harmony at all costs.
• Indians value an indirect communication style and will usually avoid using no. They tend to say, “maybe”, or “that would be difficult”.
• is a diverse country. Some of the well established business houses and other communities are known for driving hard bargains.
• Discounts are expected and so is bargaining. Typically the customer has a price in mind and bargains to get to that price. The vendors normally are prepared for the negotiation and the price to which they need to settle to.
• You should remain calm even though the Indian party may show emotion. You should wait for sometime for the decision to be made. Again it depends on the urgency of the situation.

Gift Giving

• It is not necessary to bring a gift to a first meeting, although it will be accepted graciously.
• Wrapping presents in green, yellow and/or red is the way to go. Avoid black and white.
• To be on the safe side avoid insulting your host's religion, stay away from any leather, alcohol, pigskin or dog related gifts.
• Safe gifts include chocolates or flowers (no frangipani or white flowers, they are for funerals).
• Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. Wait until giver leaves if its wrapped.
• If you give money to an Indian as a gift make sure its an odd number $11 instead of $10. Usually add a single digit.

In the Classroom

• The school year begins in June and ends in March/April Vacations happen in summer from March /April till June.
• There is a short vacation in October/November as well for the festival called diwali.
• For men and women jeans, t shirts are acceptable dress. Shorts are unacceptable for men in most colleges. Short skirts, shorts and tops are unacceptable for women. Also women should not wear low necked tops.
• Grades are usually in percentage and marks are usually given on a scale of 100. Failing will be below 40 or 45.
• Lecture is the most common method of teaching.
• Respecting teachers is important. Male teachers are addressed as "sir" while female teachers are addressed as "madam."

Other Observations

• Avoid the heat by visiting between October and March.