India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. When it comes to “Business Culture in India: Etiquette meets Handcrafted Gifts”, business negotiations that regularly occur are completely based on the mutual respect between two companies. In order to understand business culture, one should also understand the significance of etiquette, how to communicate and how symbolic gifting can be. Handcrafted gifts can work as a gesture of goodwill, respect and a first step taken by the business together. It showcases that business deals are more than just transactions, they carry a lot of meaning.
The Foundation of Indian Business Culture
When it comes to “Business Culture in India: Etiquette meets Handcrafted Gifts”, one must always be efficient and direct. The relationship that you have with a particular company often precedes the deal and it is very important to build trust. You should avoid gifting someone anything made of leather because it relates to harming animals if it is not synthetic, and you should specifically never give it to a Jain or a Hindu.
You should never gift anyone alcohol because it comes in the grey area and you are unsure whether it is a socially acceptable gift. You should gift anything sharp like a knife or a scissor because they are considered to be inauspicious during business deals. Some people also believe that gifting something in the quantity of three is very unlucky, therefore you should avoid gifting in that number. There are also times about when to gift someone something. For example, you can gift your business partner during festive seasons like Pongal or Holi or Diwali. You may gift someone something after a successful deal has been closed as a way to celebrate. You can gift after your business products have been launched successfully. You can also gift your company something as a token of gratitude if they have been very hospitable to you.
Examples of Handcrafted Gifts in Business Cultures
If you business companion comes from a particular area, you can gift something from that part. For example, lively Madhubani paintings come from the area of Bihar. Blue ceramic comes from Jaipur which is created from a mixture of quartz and other materials. If your client is from Karnataka, you may gift a Kanjeevaram shawl. It is good to give handcrafted items because they always carry a personal touch and make them more memorable than corporate merchandise that is oftentimes machine made. It is also good to give handmade items as they are ecologically friendly and they support the lives of artists. This makes it very attractive to businesses that are socially conscious. Many businesses often gift brass figures that are a representation of mythological deities. They are amazing for adding traditional Indian flair to the offices. Some often gift framed artwork that either has pattachitra origins or madhubani origins which showcase the regional heritage of a place and have the brightest of aesthetics.
Additional Tips
In cities like Delhi, gifting is great during major festivals like Dussehra where you may gift assorted chocolates or sweets or dry fruits. If you work in Mumbai, you may gift something during Ganesh Chaturthi such as Warli art or some kind of a handloom textile. If you are from Lucknow, you might gift a shawl or a sari with chikankari embroidery done on it. In the cities of Hyderabad and Chennai, gifting brassware is absolutely normal as it signifies good luck. Even in business contexts, one must always respect elders and practice the old world customs. If you show respect by the means of gifting, it will make your business relations even more strong.
Author
Shreeja Mukherjee