What to eat & not eat:

The main rule is to not drink the water – drink only bottled water, or sealed beverages (like sodas or juices in bottles), or hot tea or coffee. This also means insisting on “no ice” whenever you are served a beverage. Keep a bottle of water by the sink in your hotel room, to remind yourself to use it when you brush your teeth. Most businesses have bottled water in the offices – just ask.

Other guidelines for a healthy trip are to: avoid raw or undercooked foods, especially meat, seafood and dairy products; avoid street food – it’s often safe, but why take the chance on a short trip; and eat foods that are well-cooked and hot to the touch. In general, it’s best to eat only those fruits and vegetables that can peel yourself. In the hotels business travelers usually stay at, most travelers have no problems eating fresh fruit and vegetables; they have been washed with filtered water and carefully prepared.

Note that the majority of Indians are Hindus, and most Hindus are vegetarians to some degree or another. Everywhere you go, you will see restaurants advertising either “pure veg” or “veg and non-veg,” which refer to all vegetarian, or vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, respectively.

Money:

You are not likely to need more than $100 in cash, unless you are planning to extend your trip significantly or plan to do lots of shopping. Although the usual travel advice is to not change money in the hotels, because the exchange rate isn’t very good, many business travelers do recommend changing money in the hotel in India. With the exchange rate at about 40 rupees per $1, even $100 can give you a big wad of bills (generally, you’ll need small bills for things that require cash). Counting that many bills in an unfamiliar currency, at the end of a long plane flight, can make changing money in the airport a challenge. For less than $100 or so in cash, the difference in exchange rates may not be significant. Wherever you change money, you are likely to get your small bills stapled together – ask them to remove the staple for you, because it’s difficult to take out with your finger and ripped bills are often refused by merchants.

If you are thinking about making a big purchase (such as a rug), and may need to pay for it in cash, consider bringing travelers checks with you for changing into rupees. New ATMs are opening up every day in major cities, but they don’t always work as expected. They can be out of cash, or limit you to a very small withdrawal, or to a specific number of bills. A few ATMs cannot process a PIN with more than 4 digits, or may not be able to access a U.S.-based account. You may want to bring an ATM card from another bank as a back-up.

Check with your credit card companies before you leave – most tack on a fee on international charges (which may not be itemized). Credit cards are accepted fairly widely in India, at least at the kinds of upscale hotels, restaurants and stores where you are likely to spend most of your money, and are usually the best payment system. Bring more than one type (e.g. MasterCard and Visa, or American Express), because many shops and restaurants will only accept one type or another, not all of them.

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms in upscale hotels, restaurants, stores and most business offices all have western-style toilets. Outside of those places used to international travelers, public bathrooms are quite rare, and if you do find them, they are more likely to be the squat-type toilets, and toilet paper is not usually provided. Forewarned is forearmed!

Head movements:

Indians tilt their heads and nod back and forth to indicate “no problem,” “okay,” or “whatever.” This is often done without much facial movement or smiles, and it is easy for Americans to think they are shaking their head and indicating “no.” You’ll get used to this quickly, and probably find yourself tilting your own head in a few days. In the meantime, if you have any doubt, ask the question or state what you want again, until you hear a firm “no problem” or “okay.”

Tipping:

Tipping follows different rules in India than in the U.S., but many of the service people you encounter will expect you to tip more in line with American culture, especially at high-end hotels. If you are with an Indian colleague, ask for his/her advice. I’ve asked a lot of people about tipping, and there is a wide variation in views on appropriate tipping levels, so here are some very rough guidelines about tips:

• In general, it’s better to tip as you go, not to save up until the end of your trip. You will get better service during your stay.
• Check to see whether service is included in your restaurant bills at hotels. If it is, a very small cash tip is always appreciated, but not necessary. If it’s not, you can just write in a tip of about 10% when you sign for food bills. You may also leave this as cash – it’s just harder to remember come expense time.
• People who handle your luggage should get somewhere around 20-40 rupees per bag, more if they’re gigantic.
• Give the guy who calls your car in the morning a small amount – 20-40 rupees – preferably each time.
• In business class hotels, leave about 30-50 rupees in your room for your cleaner every day.
• People who bring up laundry or food or whatever expect a small tip, perhaps 20 rupees.
• People I’ve surveyed about tips for car service drivers have really varied opinions – from 50–100 rupees per day; to one big tip (200–500 rupees) at the end of your stay; to varying tips depending on their day (less if they hung out all day at the office campus, more if they’ve taken you all over town a few times or are doing a long trip to/from another city).
• Tips for bathroom attendants/cleaners are really not required, but some attendants will try to insist on a tip, especially from foreigners. This can be annoying; it helps to remember how poor these attendants usually are, and give them a couple of coins along with a smile.

Shopping:

Things people often shop for in India include: gold and silver jewelry, pearls (especially in Hyderabad), textiles and clothing, and many kinds of crafts, such as inlaid wooden bowls or small stone or paper maché decorative items, and rugs. Ask your hosts to arrange for a shopping trip for the things you’re particularly interested in. Bargaining at most shops is an expected social interaction and part of the shopping experience – ask for advice before you get going or ask your Indian friends to bargain for you. There’s a fine line for Americans – you don’t want merchants to think they can rip you off, but you can also afford to pay more than the local standards and still have a great souvenir or gift at an excellent price. Try to find the right balance – you can tell if you are bargaining too hard when the merchant’s expression gets really sour; if he or she gives you a really big smile when you’re done, you probably should have tried for a bigger discount! You can also buy things at the fixed price stores in the hotel (for a premium).

Last word:

Have fun! Although you are traveling for business, that doesn’t mean your trip has to be ALL business. Enjoy the experience, get out and go shopping or visit some of the local attractions. If you are going for 2 weeks or more, schedule a trip or two to some other part of India over the weekends.

What to expect when you arrive in India:

For many American travelers, the hardest part of a trip to India is the time from when you leave the airplane and arrive in your hotel. You will likely step off the plane feeling groggy and tired, but it’s important to keep your wits about you at this time. Many Indian airports are out-dated, and signage is often less than clear (at least to Americans). Follow the signs and your fellow passengers as best you can. You’ll need to take your immigration forms (hopefully you filled these out already on the plane) and go through immigration, then pick up your luggage, go through customs with your bags (female travelers should go through the regular line and ignore any “Ladies and Children” section), and then find your way out to the exit. If you are okay with carrying your own bags, you can (and should) ignore anyone trying to get you to hand them over so they can carry them for you – they will ask you for $5-10 to hand them back to you, an exorbitant amount by Indian standards. You can also change money here (see note below about money), or get a taxi (if a car service is not picking you up, it’s best to arrange the taxi from a service office inside of the airport).

When you step outdoors, be prepared for a blast of hot, humid tropical air (even though it’s usually the middle of the night), and throngs of people waiting just beyond the exit. If you are getting picked up by a car service, walk out slowly, looking for the person holding a sign with your name on it and then follow them to a waiting car. Be prepared for alternative spellings of your name. If you are staying in one of the international hotel chains (Hyatt, Hilton/Trident, Le Meridien/Starwood, etc.), you will soon find yourself in a luxuriously appointed hotel aimed at an international clientele. Enjoy!

Begging:

Coming out of the airport and walking to your car, you will likely have your first encounter with children (and sometimes adults) begging you for money. There are lots of different views about this, and how you respond is up to you. The most common advice is that you do not give any money, just smile, say “sorry” and keep going. Keep in mind that if you give money to one child, you are likely to be quickly surrounded by a dozen children all pulling at your clothing and trying to get your attention, which can be overwhelming. Your car may also be followed through the city, and you may find yourself surrounded again at your next stop. If you do decide to give money or small treats to people begging, do it carefully – just before leaving someplace, or from your car window when the light is about to change.

Travel within India:

If you are traveling to multiple cities in India, it’s best to travel with colleagues and to arrange your route in advance. Domestic flights are typically small planes with frequently changing routes, and getting stranded by yourself is usually not much fun. You will also need to arrange for taxis, or more typically, a car service that provides both car and driver. The challenges of driving in India are many, and drivers are not only take you where you need to go (while you work or sleep), they can also be a great source of information and take care of various errands while you are working. There are also a few modern highways in India now, so if you are traveling between Mumbai and Pune, for example, you may want to drive (not yourself, but with a car and driver).

• Traveling by car has some advantages: you can see some of the countryside, it’s usually less expensive than flying if you are going with another colleague, and you can go just about any time you’d like. (Some experienced travelers will drive from the airport in the middle of the night, right after they arrive in India.) On the other hand, rest stops with western-style bathrooms are not that common (obviously somewhat more of a problem for women), and you are dependent on your individual driver to stay awake (especially a challenge in the middle of the night) and to find their way.
• Traveling by plane is usually faster, but adding in the driving time to/from the airport, security and luggage handling, etc. can change the equation. Pros: you may save some time over driving, you’re never far from a bathroom, you’re in the hands of an airline company vs. an individual car driver. Cons: it’s more expensive, there are often only a couple flights per day, and you don’t get to see much scenery along the way.

During monsoon season, ask your Indian colleagues for advice. Roads are often slowed way down or closed because of flooding and flying may be the better choice.

What your days will be like:

Perhaps the most important thing to understand before you go is that your Indian hosts will almost surely help you navigate between offices, hotel, restaurants and shopping. They have probably hosted many American business travelers before, are aware of the challenges for first-time visitors, and you will probably not have to negotiate logistics or Indian culture any more than you wish. On the other hand, you may choose to engage with the local culture to a greater degree, taking a walk along the city streets, doing some sightseeing, shopping, etc. or even using your business trip as a springboard for vacation excursions to other parts of India.

If you are going to visit any of the major IT companies, you will probably stay in a hotel in the center of the city (whether it’s Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai or others), and will need to take a car out to the company’s campus, usually set at the perimeter of the city. Ask your driver how long the trip will be (one or two hours is not unusual, especially with the traffic in Bangalore!), and bring along a snack, visit the restroom and charge up your laptop before you go, so that you can be comfortable and productive. Don’t be alarmed when your driver goes through the city and out into the countryside along small roads, through herds of goats and past occasional cows. When you reach the campus, you’ll go through a guard checkpoint, and then will be directed to a main reception area. Introduce yourself and ask for your contact. You may have coffee and lunch brought to your meeting, or you may go to the canteen for lunch. These typically serve simple Indian fare, with a few entrees, both vegetarian and meat, as well as rice, bread and a sweet. Usually there are also cafés here and there where you can buy some snacks or drinks at other times, too. All of the food, though, is likely to be prepared for Indian tastes, even if it looks like an American sandwich, so you may wish to bring a couple of your own snacks if you really don’t enjoy Indian food.

At the end of the day, your hosts will ensure that you connect with your driver for the return trip to the hotel. Typically, your hosts or colleagues will have arranged for a group dinner at a local restaurant, and will make sure that you have transportation, too. You canalso eat dinner at a hotel restaurant, or make a foray into the surrounding area for dinner. Ask your colleagues and the hotel staff for advice; the hotel staff will often call a cab (or a rickshaw, if you’re feeling adventurous), give directions and negotiate the fare in advance.

Hotel breakfasts are usually buffet style, with a wide assortment of pastries, eggs, fruit, and some Indian specialties. Waiters are thrilled to get a small tip, even though meals are typically charged to your room.

Next up – Part 3: Practical Tips

One aspect of the increasing globalization of businesses is that more businesspeople find themselves traveling abroad to developing countries, often for the first time. If you are an American making your first business visit to India, here are some tips, written from my personal perspective. These tips are by no means a comprehensive guide to travel in India; they are aimed at helping experienced business travelers navigate gracefully the experiences they are likely to encounter for the first time. For a more comprehensive discussion of doing business in India, I like the chapter in Paul Davie’s What’s This INDIA Business? Travel guides from your favorite series (e.g., Lonely Planet, Frommers, Rough Guide, etc.) are also useful, especially if you want to add in any personal travel while you are visiting the country (which I wholeheartedly recommend).

Pre-trip:

About 6 – 8 weeks before you travel: Decide whether you need or want to get any immunizations or malaria medicine.

• There are currently no required vaccinations for Americans traveling from the U.S. to India, but you should seek medical advice specific to your own situation. In general, American travelers should make sure they are up to date with tetanus, consider a hepatitis A vaccine (if you have not already gotten it), and, for longer travel, a typhoid vaccine.
• The decision about whether to take anti-malaria medicine, and which kind, is a personal choice, and there are pros and cons either way. Consider the season, the parts of India where you will be traveling, and your current health. While the risk of contracting malaria is usually quite small, it is a very serious disease. The newer drug (Malarone) is often better tolerated (my family took it for most of a year).
• You can get more info from your doctor or check out some of the travel and government websites. The CDC site is informative and easy to navigate.

About 4 weeks before you travel (earlier is better):

• Get a business visa for India. Your employer will need to provide a letter of reference and you will have to take or send your passport to the Indian Consulate to have the visa added.
• Get your plane tickets! Flights to/from India during the cooler months and holiday seasons are often filled weeks or even months in advance.

About 2 – 3 weeks before you travel:

• Look over your packing list and make sure you have everything on hand, especially summer clothing (if it’s winter in the U.S.), and any medicines that you may run out of before or during your trip.
• Call your credit card companies and bank and tell them about your travel plans. Some credit card companies and banks will block international charges or ATM use until they have confirmed that you are actually abroad, leaving you stranded in the meantime.

Things to bring:

• A mobile phone that works in India can be the most valuable item you have with you. You can clear up all kinds of confusion with a local phone number and a mobile phone – ask your driver to call the hotel or office, ask a hotel clerk to speak to the airline agent, or even take advantage of the kindness of strangers and ask them to speak to someone you are having a hard time understanding or to translate for you. You have two choices: bring over a U.S. phone that works on one of the networks in India (not Verizon), or get a SIM card in India, either for your phone or one your purchase in India. One of the simplest things a business can do to ease travel is to provide American travelers with Indian mobile phones that already have some phone numbers programmed in (for the office, key contacts’ mobile numbers, usual hotels, etc.).
• A copy of your itinerary, passport (with visa page), ID, credit card numbers, and key phone numbers. Pack all of this in a separate bag from your wallet and actual passport.
• Any medications you need, or may need. You can get almost every medicine or over the counter drug in India that you can get here in the U.S., but matching your prescription or brand is often a challenge. It is much easier to bring your own set of prescription drugs and a small stash of your favorite remedies for headaches, colds, etc.
• Anti-diarrheal medicine. “Delhi belly” is the most common traveler’s affliction. Although most travelers will not have a problem, it is better to be prepared than sorry. It’s also a good idea to carry a small packet of tissues or toilet paper, as public bathrooms often do not have t.p.
• $5 – 10 in dollar bills. You can use these to give a tip to your taxi driver and hotel staff when you first arrive or when you’re departing and have no more rupees. It’s better to tip in rupees, but hotel staff are happy to take dollars if that’s all you have!
• Snacks for when your hunger strikes at odd hours in the local time zone, or if you find that you really need some non-Indian food. Protein bars, dried fruit, nuts, instant oatmeal, and candy (not melt-able) or gum are often recommended by experienced travelers.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.
• Insect repellent (a small bottle is sufficient, unless you plan to be outdoors a lot).
• Travel clock – many hotels in India do not have clocks in their rooms.
• Adaptors for any electric appliances you must bring with you. Hotels often provide hair dryers, and your computer just needs a plug adaptor. You can buy these in advance from a travel products supplier, or your business colleagues may be able to loan you one.
• A soft duffle that you can completely fold up in your bag on the way there, and can use to carry your laundry on the way home, so that you have room for your shopping purchases in your suitcase!
• Wish lists and measurements relevant to the gifts you may want to purchase for your loved ones (or yourself). (see section on shopping in part 4) The best measurements can be demonstrated, e.g. “I want to buy an outfit for a girl who comes up to my shoulder.” American sizes are irrelevant.
• Gifts for your colleagues in India. These days, people can find in India almost all American products, but maybe there is a particular American brand of something that they are looking for – ask. Other ideas are good chocolate or coffee, or a bottle of wine or small luxuries from the duty free stores at your stopover.
• Requests from your Indian colleagues in the U.S. for things they’d like you to bring back from India for them. Indian colleagues may crave a particular brand of food or cosmetic that isn’t available in the U.S.; Americans may wish for another or matching item to something they bought on a previous trip.
• Business cards.

About clothing:
Expect your Indian colleagues, for the most part, to be dressed in western clothing, business casual. Sometimes women wear traditional saris or salwar-kameez, a kind of Indian pants suit. For regular work meetings, Americans should wear business casual, in lightweight summer fabrics – cotton, linen, silk. (There may be some occasions which require business formal, just as in the U.S.) No matter how hot it is outside, the buildings you work in will all be air conditioned, so it’s a good idea to have a lightweight layer for indoors that you can take off when walking around outdoors. Twin sweater sets work well for women; lightweight summer jackets are good for both men and women. If you are planning on doing any tourist travel during your visit, remember that Indian society is fairly conservative about keeping the body well covered – lightweight long pants or skirts and short-sleeved shirts are the most acceptable Western-style clothing.

Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes. Women’s dress sandals don’t work well on the rough paths or roads that you’ll need to traverse sometimes, even though you will mostly be in office buildings or hotels. If you are planning on doing any tourist travel during your visit, you’ll want shoes that are comfortable for lots of walking – and cool. Sturdy walking sandals are a good choice for tourist travels.

Note that although the hotels will wash your clothes (for a fee), you may want to bring a small amount of hand laundry soap so that you can hand wash underthings or tops.

Things to bring on the plane in your carry-on luggage:

• Any medications you take on a regular basis. If your checked luggage is delayed or lost, you’ll want to be sure you have sufficient medications on you.
• A change of clothes and a small toiletries kit. If you are flying straight from the US to India in one trip, changing your clothes and washing up on a stopover will feel wonderful. It’s also a good idea to assume that you’ll be one of the unlucky ones whose bags will get lost and delayed in getting to you, and pack your carry-on so that you can manage a day or two without your main bag, if that becomes necessary. Remember that it would be difficult to quickly buy a new business outfit in India – the retail chains and clothing sizes are different.
• The usual stuff: Sweater or jacket for cool planes or airports. Food and snacks that you like, to supplement airline food. A bottle of water (purchased after security), to help stay hydrated.

Remember to wear clothes that you can sleep in comfortably. Some people take a sleeping pill to help them sleep on the plane or during their first couple of nights in India.

Next up – Part 2: What to Expect When You Arrive in India