Patience, patience & patience

Unlike other countries, where positioning of your business tends to be much smoother, doing business in India requires "patience, patience and patience", said Roger Mabey, Executive Director of Bovis International Ltd. Bovis is one of the oldest multinational players in India, and Mabey is spearheading the company´s globalisation strategy. Speaking from experience, he says, "There is a great need of diplomacy when dealing with India. One can hurt feelings of Indians, which may result in a loss of face. For this, we require flexibility and commitment. In India, we need to network as well. We have to be aware of the local politics. It is also important to have a [Indian] link in the UK. During last autumn, we had more meetings with our Indian associates in London then we had in India."

Mabey was speaking at a seminar organised by The Economist in London recently, in which European executives got to speak of their hopes and expectations while doing business in India. It was an exclusive affair (obviously, with a registration fee of nearly GBP 600) attended by industrialists, investors, academics and Indophiles. There were several high-powered investors such as Daimler-Benz Transportation, Ciba Chemicals, Imperial Tobacco Group and Royal Mail International and the speakers were apparently selected for their experience in dealing with India.