Doing Business in India and Pakistan

On reflection on our experiences out there, in India and Pakistan, we must take into account both the good and the bad. We must constantly challenge ourselves to think about the differences between what we saw and what we expected. The truth is that we were engaged in a long trip through two developing countries. The logistical problems associated with travel were exacerbated by the country's lack of infrastructure. Even so, we managed to navigate our way through with some inefficiency but without having to miss out on any one given destination. We saw what we had hoped to see plus a whole lot more. The truth is that we were subject to the forces at play in the host countries and as a result, we probably saw the basic truths of doing business in these economies more clearly than we would have expected. We now know how challenging it is to manage a world-class organization in a developing country in lieu of the logistical and infrastructural deficiencies surrounding the organization. Given a steady improvement in the facilities available, the business climate is sure to ameliorate. Still, the challenges facing the country as a whole are of much greater scope than that which can be addressed in a managerial context. The lack of education, infrastructure, commitment, and political stability in these two countries are asphyxiating the economic growth of these nations. While the burgeoning mass market remains an economic imperative to be exploited, the environmental and educational challenges facing India are breathtakingly difficult to transgress. Only through a directed series of leaps of faith and continued and sustained investment in the basic needs of its people can the Indian market truly realize its potential to become an economic force in the global marketplace. Until these challenges are resolved, India will continue to be a country in need of aid rather than a country in which an investment pays due dividends. Whereas in Pakistan things do not seem very different, the political forces at play more effectively conspire to detract significant value from any and all initiatives to do business in Pakistan and to improve the state of the Pakistani people.

Key Determinants of Success

From a study trip perspective, the learnings accumulated were probably positively correlated from the distance from an overhead projector. The presence of fire or colourful silks and hand-woven fabrics are all positive factors in the learning process. Any and all negotiations performed outdoors were considered to be amongst the most informative and enlightening dialogue. While walking was reduced to a minimum on the trip, the amount of weight carried while walking was usually a good indicator of the degree of educational opportunity inherent in the situation. A seemingly innocuous journey didn't exist; we were all conditioned to be prepared for anything and everything. Even when the situation tested our patience, we could always take solace in the fact that the climate was more than forgiving and that this journey experienced in any of the other 11 months of the year would have produced far more disastrous circumstances and ailments including heat exhaustion, dehydration, malaria, and yellow fever. January's only negatively contributing effect on our well-being was the marked increase in the greenhouse effect and the retention of lethal carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide in the air. Proximity to the sea was also an excellent indicator of the general health of the crew as was the TOEFL scores of the hotel-appointed doctor on-call. Number of separate transportation devices required to mobilize the entire contingent was another factor which is positively correlated with the success of the trip as is the number of free items distributed as gifts at the conclusion of the business meeting. Clearly, high-volume breweries were proved to be more effective at producing quality than microbrews like Murree, quite contrary to American standards. Finally, latitude was very inversely correlated with the number of glasses of water required to withstand the burning effects of the spice in the food. And, as is the case everywhere in the world, association with France carries a premium of at least 50%-100% above and beyond all other imports for reasons beyond the scope of our study trip and yet within the scope of the bourgeois cartel of Indian wine-producers. Beyond eat and drink, the number of telephone lines into a particular facility was almost always positively correlated with the number of incompetent operators within. Age of hotel staff was most directly correlated with inability to know opening schedules of major tourist attractions. The ability to vascillate one's head from side-to-side while smiling congenially was a characteristic found in only the most shrewd negotiators amongst the taxi-driving contingent of the sub-continent. Number of individuals required to convene in order to determine a destination was almost completely unrelated to reliability of reaching the destination in an efficient manner and generally speaking, a PPP factor of 2 can be applied to all damages due to traffic accidents. Sugar content of throat lozenge was inversely related to efficacy as was the number of distinct markings on thermostat related to the ability to regulate air conditioning effect in hotel room. Number of towel boys present in jacuzzi area was also well correlated with enjoyability of said facility and likelihood to raise eyebrows. With respect to administrative duties, the number of times a name or passport number is transcribed is most closely correlated with the probability that said name or number will be questioned as being omitted, expired, mis-transcribed, or just plain in error. Nominating a spokesperson usually contributed to the throughput of the operation but the conservation of confusion principle still holds as the spokesperson should be prepared to be subject to an equal length of tirade. Lastly, negotiating a group fixed rate for a porter or taxi service will undoubtedly create one-sigma of disputes where the amount of discrepancy is exactly 2-sigma, or 100 rupees, whichever is greater. And surprisingly, the more unbelievably obvious an item seems to be in terms of being a candidate for smuggling (here, we mean Persian rugs) the more likely that the customs official will look the other way, preferring instead to focus on scandalous photos of spouses kissing, scandalous underwear, or scandalous literature from 1960s Germany.

Personal Learnings

Bronchitis is a term which can be very loosely-applied to a variety of ailments, many of which stem from a general lack of ability to draw oxygen through the lungs either because of chest congestion or an unhealthy amount of pollution in the air. A series of coughs is most likely to be three to five in number with sixty-eight percent producing phlegm, thirty-seven percent of which will actually escape the mouth cavity to be lodged between your fingers. The back of a woman's hand will most accurately indicate body temperature while the palm of a woman's hand adds 10% variability and any part of a man's hand is relatively useless since he is much less likely to want to touch your sweaty brow. Wearing red often gives others the impression that your health has improved. Sitting in the shade on a Goan beach is most likely to elicit sympathy from everyone. Teem is India's greatest tonic for washing down pills of any shape or size. For every six days of illness, the average male body will lose 2 kg of weight thereby increasing the weight of luggage to weight of passenger factor by 5% per day until finally the only way to effectively check-in at Indian Airlines is to pass yourself through the X-ray machine, have the person immediately following you in the number count identify you on the luggage carts, all while remembering to remove all batteries from your person and clothing.

Over-Riding Lesson Learned

When traveling through the Indian sub-continent, wear long-sleeve loose fitting clothes that cover you from your ankles to your wrists to your eyebrows.