INDIA

• Country : Republic of India• Area : 3,287,590 km2

It is the 7th largest country by area• Population : 1.23 billion

2nd most populous country • Capital : New Delhi• Religions : Originated here are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism,

and Sikhism. Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Islam and Christianity are also followed

• Languages : Hindi and English22 official languages415 living languages

• Composition : Hinduism (80.5%),Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%),

Jainism (0.4%), Other (0.7%)

• Largest democratic country in the world• The Indian economy is the world's tenth-largest by GDP

India

• Indian culture is one of the most diversified cultures in the world.

• India is the land known for UNITY IN DIVERSITY• Culture can be studied under– Religions– Festivals– Languages– Dance– Music– Architecture– Cuisine

INDIAN CULTURE

Religions • India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism,

Jainism and Sikhism • Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third and

fourth-largest religions respectively

Festivals • India is called the land of festivals and fairs• There are many different festivals because of the varied

religions• The three national holidays in India, the Independence Day,

the Republic Dayand the Gandhi Jayanti, are celebrated across India.

• Popular festivals include Dussehra, Diwali, Holi, Maha Shivratri, Rakshabandhan, Christmas and Ramzan.

Languages• The Indian census of 1961 recognised 1,652 different languages in India

(including languages not native to the subcontinent).• The 1991 census recognizes 1,576 classified "mother tongues”• The government of India has given 22 "languages of the 8th Schedule"

the status of official language• Hindi is most spoken. It is followed by Bengali and Telugu

DanceThe Sangeet Natak Akademicurrently confers classical status on eight

Indian classical dance styles:• Bharatanatyam(Tamil Nadu)• Kathak (North India)• Kathakali (Kerala)• Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)• Manipuri(Manipur)• Mohiniyattam (Kerala)• Odissi (Odisha)• Sattriya (Assam).

Music• The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, pop and

classical music. India's classical music tradition, including Hindustani music and Carnatic, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras.

• The present form of Carnatic music is based on historical developments that can be traced to the 15th - 16th centuries AD

Architecture• Indian architecture has evolved through various ages in

different regions of the country.• Evolution of Indian architecture was also affected by the

emergence and decay of great empires and dynasties in the sub-continent.• Indus Valley Civilization (2700 BC-1700BC)• Mughal Era (1526 AD-1857 AD)• Colonial Era (1500 AD—1947 AD)

Cuisine• Indian food is as

diverse as India. Indian cuisines use numerous ingredients, deploy a wide range of food preparation styles, cooking techniques and culinary presentation

• Westerners may shake hands, however, greeting with 'namaste‘ is appreciated and shows respect for Indian customs.

• When addressing an Indian whom you know personally, always use the appropriate formal title, whether Professor, Doctor, Mr, Mrs or if you do not know their names then Sir or Madam will suffice.

• This is a hierarchical culture, so greet the eldest or most senior person first.

• When doing business in India, business cards should be exchanged at the first meeting. It is a good idea to have it translated on one side into Hindi. Be sure to receive and give with your right hand. Make sure the card is put away respectfully and not simply pushed into a trouser pocket.

• Indian society has an aversion to saying "no" as it is considered rude due to the possibility of causing disappointment or offense.

• When leaving a group, each person must be bid farewell individually.• Shaking hands is common, especially in the large cities among the more

educated who are accustomed to dealing with westerners.

Greetings

• Initial business entertainment is done in restaurants in prestigious hotels. Business can be discussed during meals. Allow your host to initiate business conversation.

• Irrespective of whether one takes food with cutlery or with hand (typically right hand), one is expected to wash hands before and after partaking food. You may be asked to wash your hands before and after sitting down to a meal.

• Arrive 15-30 minutes later than the stated time for a dinner party• It is rude for your host to not offer you food multiple times.• It is expected that one should not leave the table before the host or the

eldest person have finished their food.• It is not necessary to taste each and every dish prepared, but you should

finish everything on the plate as it is considered a respect for served food, and food is sacred. For this reason, take only as much food on the plate as you can finish.

• Eating at a medium pace is important as eating too slowly may imply that you dislike the food, whereas eating too quickly is rude

• Take food from communal dish with a spoon; never your fingers. • The host pays for guests in a restaurant.

Etiquette of Indian dining

• Meetings should be arranged well in advance. • This should be done in writing (email) and confirmed by phone closer to

time – probably no earlier than one week beforehand. • Avoid meetings near or on national and regional/state holidays. • However expect meetings, particularly with the senior most people to

change at the last moment. If this happens, you need to decide whether to still go ahead with a “substitute” that may be offered, knowledge of hierarchy will be key to such a decision.

• Business over lunch is quite popular, breakfast meeting can often happen without the breakfast.

• Indians prefer to do business with those they know.• Relationships are built upon mutual trust and respect.• In general, Indians prefer to have long-standing personal relationships

prior to doing business.• It may be a good idea to go through a third party introduction. This

gives you immediate credibility.

Business Etiquette

• If your business dealings in India involve negotiations, always bear in mind that they can be slow.

• If trust has not yet been established then concentrate efforts on building a rapport.

• Decisions are always made at the highest level. If the owner or Director of the company is not present, the chances are these are early stage negotiations.

• Indians do not base their business decisions solely on statistics, empirical data and exciting PowerPoint presentations. They use intuition, feeling and faith to guide them, so patience is required.

• India is overall a hot and humid country so the clothing has to be casual and comfortable. As a result, suits are rarely worn. A light jacket with shirt and pant is considered a formal outfit for businessmen. Women wear blazers over their shirt and trousers or suits or saris