Assignment 7 – Intercultural knowledge and Critical

evaluation
International Week
Blending Technology with tradition: The cultural context of doing
business in India
This seminar was held at Aula 2, Campus Kantienberg. The speaker was Mrs. Shrivastava, when
I entered the Aula and saw on the screen that she is from IIM (Indian Institute of Management)
Indore, I got the first sense that the lecture will be more
than interesting. Because I know for sure that IIM’s are
one of the finest business school of India. Their Alumnus
includes Mrs. Indra Nooyi CEO of Pepsi co., Mr. Ajay
Banga CEO of MasterCard, etc.

The seminar was mostly focused on India and its culture.

We all know that we must understand the culture of a
country before doing business in the country. Since, India
has totally unique culture than any other country in the
world. I thought it would be a good idea to attend this
seminar.

In the first half of the seminar she explained what makes

India so diverse and different than rest of the world. She rightly explained with one of the best
example, the workers of an iron welding shop were doing ritual for their daily usage materials
and instruments. Another example she gave was that how girls are coming into boxing and judo
kind of sports. In sense, that India is a country where girls are not allowed to lot of things and
one of them is sport.

The main aim of the seminar was to see that India is a country whose one feet is in history and
another into future. Indians are adapting western culture but on the same hand they are
redefining and makes it their own. Most of the western companies are not family based
businesses but in India most of the businesses are family based. Their whole family members
are involved in the business. Of course, there are pros and cons to it but according to Indians,
there are mostly pros for this kind of hierarchical businesses.

I can conclude that I knew my culture but still after this seminar, I learned more and got better
understanding of why some people are doing the same business from ages and also why they
are so smart people. I learned how working with family members increase strength of a
business and also a family.
In the end, I spoke to her since we are both Indians and also one of my friend wants to do
internship in India so to take some advice from here we went to her and had a fruitful
conversation.

Global entrepreneurship Trends & Arts of doing business in emerging

markets: how to start up young?
This seminar I attended was given by Mr. Apoorv Bamba. This is the seminar which I was
waiting from a very long time because when I was in San Francisco, I had a short conversation
with our dean of IBM and she told me to attend this for my mentioned interests. Mr. Bamba is
the founder of Start-up Safari, a company who
supports start-ups to find interns and organizes
entrepreneurial camps in India and South Africa.
I attended this seminar since I want to do my
internship in India and of course who is better
than him that help me to find one? No one
right! During this seminar, I learned so many
things which I never thought before. He
explained how to find futuristic solution and
make something innovative also how to disrupt
existing market? He gave one example of
bungee jumping. Some other day, a guy thought
is it possible to do bungee jumping without
rope? Guess what, he found the answer and he
made bungee jumping without rope with the help of magnetic field. So, to have thought of
bungee jumping without rope is disruptive thought but when he starts working on it and found
out that how to do that, then it becomes disrupting for the bungee jumping market. It is totally
new product with the same fundaments but with different experience.

He also gave example of Apple Inc. that what makes them one of the best company all tough
there are better companies who makes better computers and phones than Apple. Following up
with this example he gave example of Steve Jobs, from his first disruptive idea to disruption to
the whole industry.

What I have learned from this seminar I think I will remember through my whole life. He also
explained the theory, “The golden Circle” in relation with Apple and other competitors.

In the end of the seminar, I went to him and talked about my internship. It was a ad news for
me that in which industry I want to have my internship, he did not have it. But still, he promised
me that he will do his best and find me one.

I think the college is doing really good and they are coming up with smart incentives like this
one.
Doing internships in India and South Africa
This seminar was also given by Mr. Bamba. As I
explained before that how I want to do my
internship in Mumbai and also in stock related
company. So, this is the main reason I attended this
seminar. The seminar’s main content was how
entrepreneurs are developing themselves in
emerging markets.

He explained how his company is helping students

to get internships in India and South Africa. He
explained about so many start-ups that his company
is working with and how we as students can explore
them. The companies he was talking about were
really innovative start-ups and they are really wants
to make a change in the world. But honestly saying, I went to this seminar in a hope that there
will be something for me but unfortunately there was nothing which I can take. Because in this
seminar, he was explaining internship places available at those start-ups and I already said that
not even a single start-up was from stock market related activities.

Furthermore, it was not a learning lecture, I do not have anything to say.

Critical Reading Task

Which information given by the author struck you as particularly true?

“India is a crowded country, and people are used to living and working close together. Bus lines
are real scrambles.” I totally agree with this line, when growing up in India I still remember how
difficult is to get a seat to sit in a bus. Most of the time it is full and if you get a seat maybe it is
said to be occasional. Because a tiny village in India has population of 100000 people. From
here we can see, how it looks when it comes to public transport. (Jacobs, 2016)

“They are clever at buying and selling.” I think this is also very true that Indians are smart when
it comes to buying and selling things. This is what makes them one of the best and savvy
businessmen.

There is also one good example available about Hotmail.com. Well, Hotmail is founded by an
Indian and Microsoft wanted to buy Hotmail and they offered something around $160 M USD
but the owner was Indian and he knew how to sell his company. Well, after some talk,
Microsoft bought Hotmail for $400 M USD. When asked to the founder, how he did it? He
answered he learned that art when he used to go to vegetable market with his mom in his
young age. That’s the power of Indian businessman. (TieKolkata, 2011)

Which information given by the author struck you as not true?

“Basically, they are disappointed if you do not engage in bargaining with them.” I think this is
not true, I would say it was a time when it was like this but when the supermarket culture came
to India, after 5 to 6 years all these kinds of ploys changed. And of course, there are some
places where bargaining is not doable. (Ladage, 2015)

Which information that is important in this culture is missing?

Nowadays beef is a big problem. Most of the country is dominated by Hindus and for them cow
is holy and like a mother. Hence, if you go to India or talk to any Indian. Do not talk that you eat
beef or anything related to this topic. (newindianexpress, 2017)

In what way is the author biased according to you?

“Indians remain polite while modifications are proposed, and repackage energetically to reach
an agreement. They hate turning down any business. As far as negotiating style is concerned,
the Indians have few superiors. Although highly collectivist in their local group, they develop
individuality and brilliance when dealing on their own with outsiders. They are clever at buying
and selling. The following points indicate just one pattern of negotiation that an Indian employs
with great skill when selling (each successive step may take place after days or weeks of
negotiation).

1. I don't want to sell at all

2. This business is the jewel in the crown of all the businesses that my family controls.
3. We don't need the money
4. I am not intending to sell, but if I ever did sell, I would sell to you.
5. If I should sell, I have no idea whatsoever how we should evaluate such a successful
business.
6. If one should try to estimate a price, it would be by analogy with similar deals that were
done in the past.

Etc”

I think he wrote too much about this topic. I put only half part here, but the writer is writing on
and on. I think that is why I think he is biased on the skill of Indians that they are good at buying
and selling things. There are lot of different points that the author could have explored more
for example, Indian economy and its sub economies.

Bibliography
Jacobs, S. (2016, 02 28). These photos of India's overcrowded railways will make you grateful for
your commute. Retrieved from http://uk.businessinsider.com:
http://uk.businessinsider.com/indias-trains-are-insanely-crowded-2016-
2?r=US&IR=T/#indias-current-population-is-12-billion-1
Ladage, R. (2015, 01 20). 10 Types Of People You Should Never Bargain With In India. Retrieved
from https://www.indiatimes.com: https://www.indiatimes.com/culture/who-we-
are/10-types-of-people-you-should-never-bargain-with-in-india-229456.html
newindianexpress. (2017, 10 14). 15 accused in Dadri lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq land
contract jobs at NTPC. Retrieved from http://www.newindianexpress.com:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/oct/14/15-accused-in-dadri-lynching-
of-mohammad-akhlaq-land-contract-jobs-at-ntpc-1674061.html
TieKolkata. (2011, 12 19). Abhishek Rungta on "How Sabeer Bhatia Bargained with Bill Gates for
$400 million by Sabeer Bhatia" . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfH4MTyN05s