Question

Your role is to imagine that you are part of a team within a company that is presenting to a group of colleagues moving to one of your international offices. You will be giving an overview of what the employees should know in order to live, work and engage in a culturally appropriate way in the international host country(India).

what your colleagues would need to know to work and live in another culture.

such as

General information about the host country.

Standard business practices - e.g. what are the standard working hours?

Lifestyle information - e.g. cost of living?

Leisure time - e.g. what does it look like?

Key phrases in the language that would be useful to know.

1000 words

Answer 1

People mainly come to India to experience its extraordinary Hindu rituals, to explore its beautiful nature, to visit its rich cultural heritage and to enjoy the delicious Indian food. A culture shock can be a part of this; proper preparation is therefore of key importance, as India is a country full of surprises. A trip to India is guaranteed an experience for life, which offers a look into the lives of 1.3 billion people who sometimes seem to live in an entirely different world.

Business travelers can also be found in a rapidly increasing number in India. This is mainly due to India’s growing economy. The gross national product per capita of India has quadrupled since 2002.

India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world's highest mountain chain. The capital of India is New Delhi, and the country largest cities are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). India is the seventh largest country in the world.

India is the world's largest democracy and, according to UN estimates, its population is expected to overtake China's in 2028 to become the world's most populous nation.

As a rising economic powerhouse and nuclear-armed state, India has emerged as an important regional power.

But it is also tackling huge, social, economic and environmental problems.

Average working hours of employees in India are among the longest compared to global peers, according to a report by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). Workers in Indian cities worked for 53-54 hours and those in villages worked 46-47 hours in a week.

India is one of the most popular destinations in Asia. Its cultural legacy is portrayed by palaces, fortresses, museums and temples, in a very colourful folk ambience. In fact, India is one of the world's most ancient civilizations, that has witnessed different periods of colonial occupation, including Rajputs and Mughals first, then the British and Portuguese. The country has advanced a lot over the years, yet the remnants of India's rich past are reflected in the splendid art and architecture as well as in beliefs, rituals, festivals, etc

People mostly spend time with their families, they usually go out for dinners and play with their kids. Indian food is of various types, so people usually try it at homes during their free times. People love to eat home cooked food, so this is also a great way to spend their times... here mostly people leave in a joint family, so they spend time with their families and friends

People here use common words such as

Jugaad that means if you are stuck in middle of some work and you can use any method to finish it.

Namaste is used to greet one another.

Kya chal raha hai means what's going on in life.

India is a land of fairs and festivals. Several types of festivals are celebrated in India throughout the year. The types of festivals can be as national, seasonal, religious, regional, etc. The religions prevalent in the country include Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, Buddhism, and others.

India is a food lover’s paradise, nothing beats Indian food such as curries, pakodas, momos, samosas, dosas, naans, kebabs, paneer and many more.

Unity in Diversity- here every city is different, people are different and there are many different subcultures. It is a lot of fun finding new things about them even after living in India for years.

Here maids, Driver etc are easily available and will spoil you for life without breaking your bank balance.