|
Personal And Business Appointments
in India's Society
Indian culture appreciates punctuality yet has a much slower and
informal pace when it comes to business. Many foreigners find it
frustrating with the loose nature in which appointments are kept.
Most Indians believe that schedules are required to be flexible in
order to accommodate different people and that everyone’s schedules
are interoperable. While the Indian culture is not like the Mexican
“manana” attitude in its culture, it can certainly be described as
flexible and loose. Last minute appointments or showing up
unannounced are not recommended. Make sure contact information is
exchanged in the event there is a change in time or location, most
cellular phones should have some kind of roaming ability when
traveling in major cities throughout India. Meetings that start a
few minutes late are normal and should not be considered a sign of
disrespect.
With that in mind, it is advisable for foreigners to keep to their
appointments within reason as to not upset the host or hostess for
the meeting which has been setup. It is strongly advised that
extra time for travel is allocated as many streets are congested and
traffic jams may cause significant delays in traveling by car in
cities.
Normal Business Hours: 9 am to 8 pm depending
on the business
Lunch Time: Usually 1 hour between Noon and 2
pm
Government is slow and bureaucratic in India
just like everywhere else. Many times meetings are rescheduled or
delayed for hours without reason or explanation.
|
