Doing Business in India For Dummies
by Ranjini Manian
Doing Business in India For Dummies
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Copyright 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007933272
ISBN: 978-0-470-12769-8
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Ranjini Manian is a linguist, pioneering businesswoman, and homemaker who lives in the southern Indian city of Chennai. She was raised in Mumbai, where she studied French Literature at Elphinstone College and attended the University of Sorbonne in Paris. Ranjini is fluent in French, Japanese, Spanish, English, and several Indian languages. Shes traveled extensively, covering about 26 countries, for work as well as for the exploration of other cultures, making her a multicultural expert.
Ranjini founded Global Adjustments, Indias leading destination and cross-cultural services company. She created and continues to be the editor of Indias only free cultural magazine: At A Glance Understanding India.
Under her leadership, Global Adjustments has been chosen as one of the top ten cool companies of India by Business Today and received several awards, including a commendation from the President of India.
In pursuit of their mission to ease peoples passage to India, the Global Adjustments team has worked in the past dozen years with Fortune 500 companies and people from 70 different nationalities.
Ranjini is supported in her pursuits by her husband, son, and daughter.
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my husband, Chinnu Manian, my friend, philosopher, and guide, who taught me all about doing business.
Authors Acknowledgments
Success cant be spelled without u. This book is a perfect example of the importance of so many who made this book succeed.
I gratefully acknowledge all the hours of tireless work of Susan Philip, my editorial coordinator, who kept the process going when others were losing their heads. She also made this book see light of day. She brought touches way beyond her role, and I could never have done it without her, all while managing a family of kids and two cats! We stressed out, laughed, sighed, and rejoiced all over Doing Business in India For Dummies. Thank you Susan for the pleasure of your company in this project.
Gopal was a very important player in this project too, bringing many valuable life experiences, collating ideas, and truly contributing, all while taking time out from his busy schedule of deep-sea diving around the world during the months we pulled together this book.
I am super thankful to my family: my husband, Chinnu Manian, my worst critic and my best guide; and my son Varun and daughter Rohini, who basically sacrificed any time with me during these past months as I dove into the book, running helter-skelter to collect data, interview leaders, and hammer away at the computer. (While writing this book, a stray kitten was adopted and grew into a cat, and I had no idea it happened in my own home. My daughter said to me when I discovered this just the other day, What do you expect Mamma? Youre always busy at your computer. Now Ginger is here and she has to stay!)
Many other folks helped in various chapters of the book, and I want to say a big thank you. In alphabetical order:
Arvind Datar, Gerard DCunha, Philip George, Sriram Iyer, Brian Jolley, George Koshy, Koshy M. Koshy, J. Krishnan, Vaidehi Krishnan, Jukka and Pia Lehtela , Norm Mainland, Tarkan Maner, Suzy McNeill, Rekha Murthy, Lakshmi Narayanan (Cognizant), M. Lakshmi Narayanan (Mico Bosch), Cesare Pagani, Sriram Panchu, Brittain Phillips, Radhakrishnan Pillai, Shanti Puducheri, Satish W. Pusegaonkar, N. Ram, Kamini Ramani, Rukmani Ramani (my dear mother), M. Rangaswamy, N. Ravi, Santhanam, Mallika Srinivasan, Gopal Surya, Hema Vijay, and C. N. Vishwanathan.
I would also like to thank the people on the Global Adjustments team: Rajeshwar Balasundaram, Nil, and Bindu.
And more thanks to the Wiley team: Stacy Kennedy, Tim Gallan, Alissa Schwipps, Carrie Burchfield, and Elizabeth Rea. Thank you for your contributions and willing help. If I have omitted any name I apologize in advance and thank you warmly.