An American's Guide to Doing Business in India Book

Acknowledgments     vii
Introduction to India     1
India in the Twenty-First Century     3
Legacies of Early Empires     8
Great Britain and Independence     11
Relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China     16
Relations with the United States     23
Trade Pacts     25
High Expectations     26
An Overview of Business in India     27
Pioneers or Competitors?     30
The National Inertia     31
Remnants of the License Raj     32
The Organized and Unorganized Sectors     36
Alternative Approaches to Empowering Individuals     39
Cultural Values     42
Religion and Occupation: Defining Society     43
Family Values     44
Ghosts of the Caste     46
Religion     53
Racism     56
Fundamentalism     57
Gender Attitudes in Indian Society     58
Social Conventions     61
Time     61
Business Hours     63
Public Holidays     64
Business and Social Protocols     66
Interpersonal Relationships     71
Food and Drink     73
Travel, Money, and Numbers     75
Market-Success Factors     78
Languages     79
Functional Illiteracy     82
Income Inequality     85
Gender Bias in Everyday Business     89
Crime and Personal Security     93
Strategic Business Choices and Decisions     99
Current Business Climate     101
Regional Economic Performance     107
Workforce, Skills, and Education     111
Infrastructure     115
Telecommunications     122
Financial Stability     123
Significant Business Issues     127
Public Health and Health Care     127
Environmental Degradation     130
Energy Security     135
National Security     137
Disaster Management     137
Finding the Opportunities     138
Personal Contacts     139
Trade Missions     140
Contracting and Subcontracting     144
Direct Selling and Direct Marketing     146
Franchising     148
Governments As Clients     150
NGOs As Clients     151
Bribery and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act     152
Establishing a Presence in India     157
Legal Framework     158
Gaining a Foothold     159
Sector Breakdown     160
Non-Resident Indians and Persons of Indian Origin     167
Deciding on the Business and Business Alliance     169
Setting Up the Alliance     173
Identifying Partners, Agents, and Distributors     178
Qualifying Partners, Agents, and Distributors     183
Market Research     184
Where Should You Start?     185
Internal Factors and External Risks     187
Macroeconomic and Political Risks     189
The Fit for Your Business     191
In-Country Market Research     195
Soft Business Issues     197
Financing the Investment     204
Overseas Private Investment Corporation     206
U.S. Agency for International Development     209
U.S. Trade and Development Agency     210
United Nations Agencies     210
Development Banks     215
Multilateral Financial Institutions     216
Bilateral and Country Development Agencies     219
Indian Banks and Branches of Foreign Banks in India     220
Supplier Financing     222
Investment Banks and Private-Equity Financing     222
Export Financing     223
Determining Creditworthiness     223
Commercial Banks     224
Private-Sector Organizations     226
Payment Terms     226
Payment Schedules     227
Short-Term Financing     228
Intermediate-Term Financing     233
Long-Term Financing     237
Countertrade Strategies in India     245
Countertrade in India     246
Forms of Countertrade     248
Countertrade Guidelines     252
Information Sources and Web Sites     254
Best Prospects for U.S. Exports and Investments     259
Map of India     260
Index     261