India, located in South Asia, is the world’s second-most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.3 billion as of 2023. Known for its rich cultural diversity, historical heritage, and vast geography, India plays a significant role in global affairs.
The Indian economy, with a GDP per capita of around $2,100 USD in 2023, is characterized by a mix of agriculture, manufacturing, and services. Agriculture remains a key sector, supporting a large portion of the population. The service sector, particularly IT and software services, has seen rapid growth and global integration. Manufacturing is also expanding, with initiatives like ‘Make in India’ promoting industrial development.
In Indian business culture, the head of the organisation gives all the explicit instructions and team follows it without complaints. India is a male dominated society and women should be ready for personal questions too. Business in India is based on trust. They value personal networks and close ties.
If you want to do business in India and want to start negotiations, please be aware of the following points.
The Indian legal system is fashioned on English common law. It is a unique combination of English common law with statutory and regulatory law. Some statutes enacted before independence still operate though amended many times to to evolve with the specific needs of the times.
Contemporary Indian law also exhibits European and American slant. Primarily enactments are passed in the Parliament and the state legislatures. Case law or judgments of the Supreme Court of India and High Courts of various states and specialized tribunals forms the secondary source of law.
As per the Constitution of India the law laid down by the Supreme Court of India is binding upon all the courts in India.
India follows adversarial model. Parties to a dispute represent their arguments, and present evidence besides calling and questioning witnesses.
The Indian judiciary is known for its fierce independence. It is free of influence from the legislative and executive sections of the Indian government.
Almost every country or trade block in the world has its own detailing on the international HS-code list. With our report you strongly reduce the risk on misclassifications, delays and higher custom duties than expected.
Tell us what you want to ship and where to and we ask you all relevant questions to get to the most likely code.
Even if your business is really international, it may be wise to set up local website translations and check whether your text aligns with the culture.
With regards to content, my personal experience is that if you have a successful blog topic in one language, it is likely to do well also in other languages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make a proper translation.
First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. This can be complex if you don’t have your own legal entity in the country.
There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.