India and Its Culture!Presented by : Sriram

"Satyameva Jayate"

National symbols of India

• National Flag National Emblem National Flower National Fruit

• National Animal Indian Currency

Other Important National Symbols

• National Anthem - Jana Gana Mana

• National Song – Vande Mataram

• National Calendar – Saka Calendar

• National Heritage Mammal – Indian Elephant

• National Heritage Animal – Hanuman Langur

• National Tree – Banyan Tree

• National Aquatic Animal – Dolphin

• National Reptile – King Cobra

Statistics

Location: Southern Asia,bordering Bangladesh4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km,Burma 1,463 km, China3,380 km, Nepal 1,690km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Capital: New Delhi

Climate: varies fromtropical monsoon in southto temperate in north

Population: 1.252 billion(2013)

Ethnic Make-up: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian25%, Mongoloid and other3% (2000)

Government: FederalRepublic

Indian Culture

• Religions -. Religion plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of

its people.

• India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism,

collectively known as Indian religions

• According to the 2011 census, 79.8% of the population of

India practice Hinduism. Islam (14.2%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.7%),B

uddhism (0.7%) and Jainism (0.4%) are the other major religions followed by

the people of India.

• According to the 2012 WIN-Gallup Global Index of Religion and Atheism

report, 81% of Indians were religious, 13% were not religious, 3% were

convinced atheists, and 3% were unsure or did not respond.

Indian Culture

• Languages and literature

• Indo-Aryan language family

• Dravidian language family

• Austroasiatic language family

• Sino-Tibetan language family

• Tai-Kadai language family

• Great Andamanese languages

• The official language of the Union Government of the Republic of

India is Hindi in the Devanagari script.

• According to Census of India of 2001, India has 122 major languages and

1599 other languages

• The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 languages, which have

been referred to as scheduled languages and given recognition, status and

official encouragement.

Indian Culture

• Epics - The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the oldest preserved and

well-known epics of India.

• Dance in India – There are eight classical dance status by India's National

Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama, those are :

1. Bharatanatyam of the state of Tamil Nadu

2. Kathak of Uttar Pradesh

3. Kathakali and Mohiniattam of Kerala

4. Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh

5. Vakshagana of Karnataka

6. Manipuri of Manipur

7. Odissi (orissi) of the state of Orrisa

8. Sattriya of Assam

Kuchipudi Odissi

Indian Culture

• Clothing- Traditional clothing in India greatly varies across different parts

of the country and is influenced by local culture, geography, climate and

rural/urban settings.

• Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for women

and dhoti or lungi or panche (in Kannada) for men.

• Indian women perfect their sense of charm and fashion with make up and

ornaments. Bindi, mehendi, earrings, bangles and other jewelry are common

• Bindi is often an essential part of a Hindu woman's make up and it is

considered as auspicious mark.

Indian Culture

• Greetings - Namaste (Sanskrit), Namaskar (Hindi), Juhar/Namaskar

in Odia, Namaskar, Swagatam (Marathi) or Namaskara (Kannada)

orNamaskaram (Telugu, Malayalam), Vanakkam (Tamil),Nomoshkaar (Bengal

i), Nomoskar (Assamese) is a common spoken greeting or salutation when

people meet or a form of farewell when they depart.

• Other greetings include "Jai Jagannath" in Odia Language, "Ami

Aschi" (in Bengali),"Jai Shri Krishna" (in Gujarati), "Ram Ram“.

Pressing hands together with a smile to greet Namaste - a common cultural

practice in India.

Indian Culture

• Sports - Field hockey is the official national sport in India.

• Cricket is considered the most popular sport in India and most followed sport.

• Other games which originated in India and continue to remain popular in wide

parts of northern India include Kabaddi, Gilli-danda, and Kho kho. Traditional

southern Indian games include Snake boat race and Kuttiyum kolum.

India wins 2011 World cup. Snake boat race on occasion of Onam.

Indian Culture• Architecture - There are 32 World Heritage Sites in India that are

recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) as of 2014

Indian Culture – Business Etiquettes

Meeting and Greeting

• Westerners may shake hands, however, greeting with 'namaste' (na-mas-

TAY) (placing both hands together with a slight bow) is appreciated and

shows respect for Indian customs.

• Men shake hands with men when meeting or leaving. Men do not touch

women when meeting or greeting.

• Western women may offer their hand to a westernized Indian man, but not

normally to others.

• Traditional Indian women may shake hands with foreign women but not

usually with men.

Body Language

• Public displays of affection are not proper.

• Indians generally allow an arm's length space between themselves and

others. Don't stand close to Indians. Indians value personal space.

• Indian men may engage in friendly back patting merely as a sign of

friendship.

• The Western side-to-side hand wave for "hello" is frequently interpreted by

Indians as "no" or "go away."

• Use your right hand only to touch someone, pass money or pick up

merchandise. The left hand is considered unclean.

• Do not touch anyone's head. The head is considered sensitive.

• Feet are considered unclean. Feet are sacred for holy men and women.

Pointing footwear at people is considered an insult.

• Indians are very sensitive to being beckoned rudely. Hand and arm waved up

and down (Western "good-bye") means "come here." To beckon, extend your

arm, palm down and make a scratching motion with fingers kept together.

• Never point with a single finger or two fingers (used only with inferiors). Point

with your chin, whole hand or thumb. The chin is not used to point at

superiors.

Indian Business Etiquettes

• Dress• For business, men should wear suits and ties. During summer months, you

may omit the jacket.

• Women should wear conservative pantsuits or dresses, a salwar-suit is also

acceptable for business dress.

• Gifts• Give gifts with both hands. Gifts are not normally opened in the presence of

the giver.

• Gifts from your country are appreciated (perfume, chocolates, small china or

crystal objects).

• Gifts are not normally expected at the first meeting. Gifts may be given once

a relationship develops.

Dining and Entertainment

• Initial business entertainment is done in restaurants in prestigious hotels.

Business can be discussed during meals. Allow your host to initiate business

conversation.

• Never flatly refuse an invitation to a home or dinner of a business counterpart;

if you can’t make it, offer a plausible excuse.

• Spouses are often included in social/business functions.

• Strict orthodox Muslims don't drink any alcohol. Most Hindus, especially

women, do not consume alcohol.

• Arrive 15-30 minutes later than the stated time for a dinner party.

• At a social gathering a garland of flowers is often placed around a guest's

neck. Remove it after a few minutes and carry it in your hand to show

humility.

• Allow hosts to serve you. Never refuse food, but don’t feel obligated to empty

your plate. Hindu hosts are never supposed to let their guests’ plates be

empty.

• If hosts eat with hands, assure them you enjoy doing the same. If utensils are

not used, use your right hand and your first three fingers and thumb only.

• Take food from communal dish with a spoon; never your fingers. Use

chappati or poori (bread) torn into small chunks to scoop up food..

• Guests give gifts to the host and the host's children as a "thank you."

• You should reciprocate invitations with a meal of comparable value. Never

invite someone to a far more lavish dinner -- it might embarrass them.

BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS AND GIFT GIVING

• Gift giving is customary in India as a display of friendship or affection, it is

vital to choose the Gift appropriately.

• Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. If you receive a wrapped

gift, set it aside until the giver leaves.

• Don't wrap gifts in black or white, which are considered unlucky colors.

Instead, use green, red, and yellow, since they are considered lucky colors.

• When invited to an Indian's home for dinner, bring a small gift of chocolates or

flowers.

• Chocolate, disposable razors, perfumes, toiletries, and household items such

as plastic containers can also be welcome gifts.

• If you are visiting during a festival, it is customary to carry a box of sweets.

• When selecting flowers, be aware that frangipanis are associated with

funerals.

• Be cautious in giving a leather item as a gift.

• Avoid giving leather or alcohol.

Table Manners

• In a traditional Indian meal setup, the following is observed. Normally the

plate is served with small quantities of all the food items.

• Answering phone calls, sending messages and using inappropriate language

are considered inappropriate while dining and while elders are present

• Distorting or playing with food is unacceptable

• Eating at a moderate pace is important, as eating too slowly may imply a

dislike of the food and eating too quickly is considered rude.

• Generally it is not acceptable to burp, slurp, or spit.

• A cardinal rule of dining is to use the right hand when eating or receiving food

• Certain Indian food items can create sounds, so it is important to close the

mouth and chew at a moderate pace.

Negotiations• If your business dealings in India involve negotiations, always bear in mind that

they can be slow.

• Decision making is generally a long-drawn out process, very often because a

decision may have to be ratified by people who may not be present at the

negotiating

• If trust has not yet been established then concentrate efforts on building a

rapport.

• Indians do not base their business decisions solely on statistics, empirical data

and exciting PowerPoint presentations. They use intuition, feeling and faith to

guide them, so patience is required and anger is a no-no.

• Be non-confrontational and when criticizing or disagreeing, do so very sensitively

and diplomatically. Note that the Indian psyche operates around the overall

context.

• One should be prepared for questions and enquiries, which may not seem to be

directly related to the subject.

• Finally, bargaining is the life blood of negotiations in India – be prepared for the

bottom line after the bottom line and the need to “adjust” for changing

circumstances.

Indian Business Etiquettes

• Business cards are exchanged and Indians are very conscious of the

protocol. Always present business cards when introduced. English is

appropriate for business cards.

• Helpful Hints

• When an Indian answers, "I will try," he or she generally means "no." This is

considered a polite "no."

• Many Indians do not wear shoes inside a home. Follow your host

• Apologize immediately if your feet or shoes touch another person.

• Ask permission before smoking. It is considered rude to smoke in the

presence of elders.(recommended to ignore)

• Stand when the national anthem (of any country) is playing. Show respect to

all flags and all religious symbols.

• Standing tall with your hands on your hips is perceived as aggressive.

• Do not show anger.