Decoding ways of doing business in India

Australia-India trade is strong — in 2018, India is Australia's 4th largest trading partner with Australian merchandise & services exports to India valued at A$ 21.1 billion and two-way bi-lateral merchandise & services trade valued at A$29.1 billion.

Here’s how you can join fellow Australian exporters on this exciting ride.

1.    Be persistent: First, in all relations in India, be persistent. Remember! India is a competitive country.

2.    Pick up the phone: E-mail alone doesn't works in India. We are also open for alternative forms of communication, such as WhatsApp and text messages, but what they really appreciate is a phone call. India has the largest user base of Facebook!

3.    Make relationships: Australian businesses must be patient. Many arrive expecting to do a deal on their first visit, but India is a "relationship market." That means a company has to come and spend time in the country to show the local players that it's serious. 

4.    Due Diligence: Australian companies should resist the temptation to dive into a relationship. It should first do reference checks and speak to other partners like Austrade or existing Australian companies to avoid getting taken advantage of.

5.    Easy in English: English is one of the officially recognized languages, so you usually don’t have to worry about language barriers. No one frowns on the use of English — We are supposedly the second largest English speaking country in the world

6.    Connect with cards: Be sure to have a business card, but there’s no need to present it in the bowing fashion seen in other parts of Asia. Speaking of first meetings, be prepared for some questions you might not be asked in Australia or USA. Indians will discuss about Cricket, politics. They may jump between business and personal topics.

7.    Understanding the Indian 'Yes': What does 'yes' really mean in India? It depends. It might really mean yes. It might also mean “I'm saying yes to satisfy your expectation” (but without committing to actually deliver on the expectation). More likely, it means, “I'm going to do my best, but there may be outside forces that I cannot control which will prevent me from succeeding.”

8.    Hierarchy matters: Don’t be surprised at the adherence to hierarchy. Usually, only the most senior person at the meeting speaks, but they’ll understand that’s not the case for Australians.

9.    Refine your strategy: Indian markets are localized across provinces and its major cities are as large as some countries, which means an Australian business must choose the hub that makes the most sense for its product or service.

10.  Negotiations: Negotiations can be tortuously slow especially during the getting to know you process. Most of the decisions are made at the top level and it takes time.

Say Namaste to India! Leaving you with a famous quote which perfectly fits the journey to India:

'' You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”

Yaser Siddiqui is a Business Development Manager at Austrade, working with Australian companies to export food, wine, health & beauty and fashion products to South Asia. As well as having an MBA in International Business, he has over 7 years of marketing and business development experience, working across several industry sectors in South Asia. When not working, you can find him creating new business and marketing content, collecting matchbox covers (yes you read it correct) or playing Peekaboo with his 2 year old .