Cultural Tips for Conducting Business From Your Virtual Office in Mumbai

Posted on April 14, 2018

April 14, 2018 YCO Team

Thinking of setting up your virtual office in Mumbai? India is a burgeoning force in the business world with great quantities of human capital, affordable labour and quality business accommodations at reasonable rates. With a growing population of English speakers, India has rapidly taken over labour jobs from the Western world and has a growing technology and customer service sector. In short, India is a great place to do business and Mumbai is practically the epicentre of opportunity where India is concerned. When conducting business in a foreign land, it's important to observe proper business etiquette when interacting with local officials, businesspeople and customers. If you're not familiar with conducting business in India, read on for a few cultural tips on conducting business from your Mumbai virtual office.

Basic Manners and Customs Show Respect for Indian Culture

Understanding the basics of manners and customs in Mumbai is the first step to doing business there successfully. Learn to recognize names and what they can tell you about people - someone named "Singh" is always a Sikh (along with most people wearing traditional turbans), the name suffixes -jee and -kar denote high class families, and most people named "Patel" are part of the working class. When exchanging business cards, put the card away carefully instead of stuffing it into your pocket. You may also want to translate your business card into Hindi on the reverse side.

Understand the Hierarchy of Indian Business Culture

The idea of hierarchy is a cornerstone of business in India and is closely adapted from the caste system that has divided Indians into distinct classes for centuries. This strict hierarchy defines the roles of individuals both in societies and in a business setting. While you may envision companies where role players of all pay grades work together, here all workers have a strong sense of social position. Within some companies, menial tasks like changing a light bulb may take hours to complete because nobody will do this task except the "gofer" who might be busy when the bulb needs changing. Understanding this important dynamic is important when employing your own workers or working with other companies.

Learn to Be Respectful and Build Relationships

While Western business is heavily focused on transactions, business in India is centred on relationship building. You can expect to find companies that will turn down potentially lucrative partnerships and offers based on a lack of trust. The network of top businesses in India is small and exclusive, but if you can gain access to it you can achieve a lot. Good working relationships are based on demonstrating a strong business ethic and will to do business, as well as the ability to display trustworthiness.

Following these tips is a great way to get started doing business through your virtual office in Mumbai. Your City Office offers competitive rates for virtual offices in Mumbai. Our highly customizable packages ensure that you pay only for the services you want. You can visit https://www.yourcityoffice.com/virtual-office-mumbai.php to learn more about how to open your own virtual office today.