"India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."

--Mark Twain

India – a land of mystics. A country of snake charmers, relaxing cows bang in the middle of the road, of snakes biting people if one doesn’t travel on elephants and people dying from malaria. This has been the approximate if not the exact definition of India to foreigners. Much less to say of a country that is fast becoming the service hub to the Fortune 100 of the world and where the GMs and GEs and Microsofts of the world have either set up base or are considering to.

What follows is a brief description of 3,287,590 sq kms of colorful mélange of languages, cultures, ideas and seasons! It is very difficult to describe facets of any country in a single article, however, this one tries to introduce the country to anybody with an interest in the land, or an opportunity to come here on a business trip.

Seasons & Climate

The seasons are winter, spring, summer, summer monsoon, autumn, and the winter monsoon. In most parts of the country, the prominent seasons are winter (November to March), summer (April to June) & monsoon (June and September). Winter monsoon is prominent in the south. Diversity is part of every aspect of the country. The northern states receive snowfall in winter while down south, temperatures may be in the range of 90-100^oF. The clothes you carry will depend on the time & the city you are visiting. To generalize, the climate is hot & formal wear with a tie is the accepted business attire. Suits are used, but a foreigner may find it uncomfortable to wear even in an air conditioned environment.

Languages

Major languages of India are Hindi (official), English (official), Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Assamese, Sanskrit, Sindhi (all recognized by the constitution). There are 1,652 dialects. Most state boundaries are drawn on the basis of the language spoken there. Schools have English, Hindi or the local language of the state (mother tongue of the student) as the primary language of instruction, but English is almost always taught at school. Most colleges & universities teach in English. Business communication is primarily in English & language should not be a problem at least for business dealings.

Religion

India has been the cradle of many religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism & Sikhism. Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Sikhism is practiced here. 82% of the population are Hindus. A 120 million Muslim population makes it the second largest Muslim nation, although they are a minority, making up 12% of the population. India has a history of tolerance to other religions & you will not see any fanaticism as far as religion is concerned in the Indian business environment. Festivlas do stop normal business & they do not fall in the same day every year according to the christian calendar (they follow the calendars of their own religions, eg. the hindu calendar, the islamic calendar & so on). Holi, Dusshera, Janmashtmi, Hanuman Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, Muharram, Shivratri, and Diwali are soe of the important festivals. There are a total of 13-15 holidays in a year, most of them festivals. Depending on the area you are visiting, a certain festival could last even upto 11 days. Examples are Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai (Bombay) or Dusshera in Kolkata (Calcutta). Major roads may be closed for traffic & people prefer spending time with their family & community. This should be an important consideration when deciding the dates for your trip.

Cuisine

Although a Westerner would associate the concept of vegetarianism with India, there are enough non vegetarian hotels in India. Popular non veg food comprises of chicken (broiler & country), mutton (goat meat) & fish (sea water & fresh water). There are tasty vegetarian food available too. Although food is usually spicy, you could ask for less spicy food to be specially prepared. It is more advisable than trying Western food like pizzas & burgers, especially in small towns. In larger cities & metros, good restaurants offer a range of options including Chinese & Italian. Take the help of your host or the waiter for the names of Indian food. Moorg is chicken, paneer is homemade cottage cheese, for more visit: http://www.currypages.com/dishglossary.aspx

Indian food is gaining popularity worldover, so chances are you might have already tasted Indian food. Even if you have been to an Indian restaurant abroad, the food here is bound to taste different. Even chinese food in smaller hotels is very 'Indianised'.

Business

Decision making is slower in India compared to US standards & even small decisions are taken t the top level. A 15min delay in appointments & meetings is considered normal. Things are changing now with the new generation following the US way of doing business closely.

Conversation warm ups could consist of talk about cricket, Bollywood (the local movie industry, based in Mumbai), weather, festivals, family, etc. Indians may find it strange that you have never heard of a player called Sachin Tendulkar or a movie star called Amitabh Bachan. Asking about your family is also common.

Infrastructure at most business districts are adequate and are equipped with power backup & high speed Internet connections in a country where blackouts are common & Internet penetration is low.

Traveling

Because cost of living in India is relatively lower (Mumbai, the costliest metro in India is one of the world's cheapest cities), travelers also should always exercise caution in their financial dealings in India to reduce the chance of being a target for fraud, especially while dealing with taxis (cabs), buying handicrafts & other small purchases. Tipping is optional in India & is never a percentage of your bill. One US dollars can be exchanged for Rs.46 & one GB pound for Rs.73 (approximate rates). When dealing with rupee notes, remember that they remain in circulation for along time. While in smaller cities & towns, tattered notes are accepted (especially of smaller denominations), the same may not find any taker once you arrive in a large city. You can always refuse to accept a soiled note or exchange the same in a bank. You will get cars on hire with a driver & driving on your own is not recommended. Distances above 200km are best negotiated by air.

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