India (2)
India is one of the largest economies in the world and the second largest country in terms of population. That being said, it is a completely new emerging market which will have a variety of different needs spread throughout the different classes giving the opportunity for companies to grow fast in short periods of time. Naturally, such type of a process would require the understanding of the cultural difference as well as what the actual needs are. Even though it used to be a British colony for a great amount of time, the two cultures couldn’t be more different even now. That’s why we have gathered a few different tips you could utilise when going out to the Indian market.
Consider all factors
Right off the bat, one of the most basic things that should be noted is the time difference between the UK and India or in other words five and a half hours. Now, if you are making a parcel delivery to India with Courierpoint, all of that will be accounted for. But when you are scheduling a call to negotiate a deal, you should be fully aware of the time difference. Often that would mean that you would have to be flexible with your working hours. Having your laptop and your mobile phone at your side in such scenarios is not the worst idea.
As a person born in the UK you should still consider that there might be people who would not exactly be thrilled to be working with you. In our experience, that is a rare occurrence, however it should be considered nevertheless. Being prepared for all scenarios gives you the option to react adequately and gain the most benefits out of the situation.
Be ready to commit
The initial market entrance might be quite challenging, as it will pose a variety of different risks and you’ll be facing many unforeseen obstacles. That being said, the long term business conduction in India is certainly something to look forward to. Raising your brand awareness in the country would help you develop a certain presence right now, gaining market advantages to companies that later enter the market, realising they are missing out on an opportunity. It is not necessary that you set up a physical operation, you could always be using courier companies to deliver your shipments to India using Courierpoint services such as DHL, in case that your enterprise has no transport department.
Consider the old school values
In a lot of aspects, India is still conducting business in outdated manners. The face to face personal relationships are still quite important for the market. That means that you should be going to networking events, creating such relationships and later nurturing them. Having a local partner could also heavily speed up the process of establishing yourself in the market.
So consider all of these factors, make the required market analysis and create a solid business plan with an entrance strategy. Be ready to spend some time on the market before becoming successful and most importantly be persistent and flexible.