Caltech Business with India Course

Doing Business With India: Key Success Factors

India is fast becoming one of the most important development centers for software, IT outsourcing, R&D, biotech, customer contact, design, and other knowledge-based products and services. At the same time, India’s rapidly expanding middle class represents a promising new market.

How will global companies partner or compete in this environment?

As an American executive, this course provides you with the insights and perspective needed to more confidently evaluate both the opportunities and risks of working with India.

The instructors present the issues and opportunities using specific business situations, case examples, personal experiences, and up-to-date information to construct a framework you can immediately apply.

You will gain an in-depth understanding of the fast-evolving Indian business environment within the larger context of Indian society and culture. The course provides the analytical tools you need to chart a realistic roadmap for your organization. You’ll also have the opportunity to benchmark your personal experiences with other executive participants.

Key Topics
– How to evaluate the risks and rewards of doing business in India
– The management culture of Indian organizations
– How Indian society is evolving, and how this will impact your business
– How to evaluate potential partners in India
– How to navigate the regulatory environment in India
– A comparison of business conditions in India and China
– Common mistakes Western firms make in India
– Best practices for managing communications with Indian counterparts

Course Agenda

India in Context
– A quick overview of India’s history, geography and ethnography
– The current economic drivers in India: comparison with China
– The political landscape of India and its effects on business
– India’s new-found confidence: implications for international firms
– The “Buzz:” current issues important to Indians

Understanding India’s Business Culture
– Key Indian values: common denominators in a diverse nation
– The effect of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and other religions on Indian society and
business
– How the caste system impacts business
– The issue of Baksheesh
– India’s communities abroad
– Attitudes towards America
– India’s business culture in transition
– Understanding key business groups in India and the parallel, underground
economy

Strategic Decision-making for Indian Business Relationships
– Investing or not investing?
– Analyzing risk in the new India
– Evaluating potential strategic alliances
– Outsourcing customer service operations to India
– Offshoring: setting up your own operation

Operating in India: Management Issues
– Understanding Indian leadership and decision-making styles
– Developing an effective corporate system and culture that makes sense in India
– Building an effective multi-cultural work team
– Hiring and retaining key talent in India
– Determining if your executive team has the global mindset to support
operations in India

Optimizing Functional Business Areas
– Protecting intellectual property
– Navigating the regulatory environment in India
– Marketing and customer service

Communicating With Indians
– Separated by a common language: speaking English with Indians
– Effective meeting management in India
– Negotiations and conflict resolution
– Common communication pitfalls for Westerners in India
– Successful strategies for communicating across time and distance

Building Relationships: Social Guidelines for Westerners in India
– Etiquette in business
– Personal space under siege-handling sensory overload gracefully
– Enjoying Indian cuisine
– Travel issues for business people

Instructor: Gunjan Bagla

Business With India: Sourcing, Selling, and Operating in India – pdf brochure