How to prepare for a business meeting in India?

During these two months in Mumbai I have met several people and visited several companies and still each business meeting turns out to be a lesson to learn!

Happened once in Mumbai: 

I was supposed to meet a Vice President of the CSR unit of a big Indian corporation on a Tuesday morning. I had confirmed my meeting with a call and an email with a title mentioning the exact date and the timing of the meeting. However, when I turned up his secretary showed his agenda and said: "your meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, tomorrow". I could not believe what I just heard. I mentioned my email, but the secretary seemed indifferent and suggested he could check if the person is free right now. And he was, for 20 minutes. When we were introduced he just shrug his shoulders and stated "this is India". 

Happened also in Mumbai: 

I had a second meeting with a person to whom I had done a couple of sample newsletters to demonstrate my project proposal. He praised the letters and said it was just what they needed. We started planning the project organization and fix deadlines for the implementation. At the end of the meeting he promised to come back regarding the compensation details the same evening or next day the latest. He never came back. Not even to tell me the plan had changed. 

Here a couple of tips on how to prepare for a business meeting in India:

1. Arrive on time, but don't take it personally if the person you are supposed to meet is late. He could be stuck in traffic, in another meeting or someone in his family got sick. Family always comes before business.
2. Small talk.  People like to talk first about their family and holiday preparations etc. instead of going straight to the business like we Finnish people like to do.
3. Shake hands with everyone if your meeting is in a bigger city like Mumbai or Delhi. In some more traditional locations men and women don't shake hands. Cheek kisses are an absolute no-no.
4. Be patient. Do not expect to conclude anything in your first meeting. Indians like to invest in building relationships and trust before making any major decisions.
5. Remind. Indians are used to multitasking and might forget they were supposed to call you. It is normal to call after people here.
6. "Yes" can mean yes or no. Indians avoid saying no even if they had to lie on your face. Low expectations are the key to happiness.

This is India!

More reflections about Indian business culture can be found on Communicadaid Cross cultural training blog...