The 1 One Mindset Every Expats Needs To be Successful in India

Expats are hired for various reasons, it could be:-

(1) During the initial stages of an operation to get a head start on the task.

(2) For their connections in the industry with business stakeholders

(3) Specialized knowledge in a given domain

(4) other reasons.

An expat brings a lot of positives to the table, but to be truly effective its important to understand the Indian culture, traditions, and mindset in a nutshell, “THINK INDIAN”.

This can go a long way in ensuring a success or failure, by being culturally aligned with the organization. The work ethics here are different. Indians are accommodating, especially to their seniors and you would be expected to do the same, in case the expats reports to an Indian.

The ability to adapt to the company’s core values and India’s unique working style is a task in itself if you are coming from a different culture, it’s just that work style DNA here is different, its helpful to understand it.

There is already a language barrier, although most Indian working in the organized sector can speak English. You will find that in most cases the English are conversational and they lack the depth of language and find it difficult to understand sarcasm, wit or humor. It’s also helpful to speak a little slowly.

People in India are quite involved in each other’s life. They wish to know everything about you and your family, your salary, relationship etc. Sometimes it gets too much and one must be tactful in these situations. Indian feel that they do the same work and the expats are getting paid higher, not realizing that they are paid as per the standards of their home country and which may seem high for Indians post-currency conversion.

People will expect you to visit when you are invited to religious ceremonies and marriages, these two functions are integral to most Indians and sharing these moments is important to them. More so if you are their superiors.

India differs from western countries on one key aspect, our society places community needs above those of an Individual.

If you could traverse such small differences and embrace the beauty that India is, your stay will not only be enjoyable but also be welcomed with open arms by all.