Moving to India and Cultural Differences
When you need international movers, contact IntlMOVE.
IntlMOVE specializes in shipping your household goods internationally, so IntlMOVE has the experience to help make your move easy.
IntlMOVE customers moving to India regularly send letters of appreciation for the customer service and personalized attention they receive when they hire IntlMOVE.
You will be in good hands with IntlMOVE.
When you move to India with IntlMOVE, there will be many cultural differences you will have to get used to.
Family life, work, conveniences and even the food will be different.
IntlMOVE has put together a brief outline of differences you will find when making international moves to India.
Home Life
In small communities, neighbors and friends are often treated like family in India.
The interaction is very informal and neighbors will often stop by unannounced.
Hired help is a lot more affordable than it is in the United States.
Most people are easily able to afford nannies, housekeepers and maids.
Families are very valued in India.
You will often find many generations living together in one household.
When a male child gets married, he will often move his bride in with his family.
The eldest male of the household will make all important decisions regarding the family.
Elders require respect and are the driving force behind the family unit in India.
Family is very valued, and family will take priority over work very often.
Work
In the United States, most people have Saturday and Sunday off of work for the weekend.
In India, Sunday is typically the only day of the week most workers have off of work.
Managers have more responsibility, so they must keep track of deadlines for themselves and employees.
Managers are also responsible for monitoring their employees work.
Indians are not used to working at their own pace on assigned projects as managers are very highly respected.
Managers must keep their employees on task.
Indians will want to have a personal relationship with you before doing business.
You may be invited into your business associates homes as Indians are very good hosts.
You are expected to accept the gesture and arrive with a box of chocolates, flowers or another gift to show your appreciation.
Keep in mind that many Indians are vegetarian and might not drink alcohol.
It may take some time to close a deal and you will have personal conversations about family and life.
Aggressiveness can be misinterpreted as a sign of disrespect, so give business deals a little extra time and a keep a gentler disposition.
International business has changed the way of doing business in India.
Although some of the business culture is deeply rooted, you will find that many Western practices are being implemented into the workplace.
When you move to India, ask questions and take note of how your business associates conduct business.
It will take some time to adjust.
Convenience
In the United States, paying bills is very easy as you can pay almost everything over the phone or by internet.
Although there are some bills you may be able to pay in India online, you will have to stand in line to pay many of your bills.
You will not find 24-hour superstores that have everything you could possibly need or want.
Measurements
Instead of ounces and pounds, people in India use grams and kilograms as measurements.
Yards, miles and feet are measured by meters and kilometers.
If you want to know the temperature, it is measured in centigrade rather than Fahrenheit.
Volume is measured in milliliters and liters instead of ounces and gallons.
Technology and Electricity
Electrical devices such as hairdryers, laptops and coffee makers will not work in India.
You can have IntlMOVE ship these household goods, but you will have to buy converters.
Individuals moving to India will often buy new appliances when they arrive in their new country.
When you move to India with IntlMOVE, you will begin a journey of a lifetime.
There will be a lot to learn and it will take some adjustment to get used to a new way of life.
When you move to India, contact IntlMOVE.
It is very hard to learn about the cultural differences of India until you actually live there. but believe me, there are a lot of differences. It has been really fun learning about a new culture. When you do think about moving overseas, log onto the intlmove website to learn more. They were very helpful to us.
I moved to India and i feel that the culture shock might be a little more extreme than if I would have moved to a Western country. Fast forward six months and I have adjusted very well. I have made a lot of friends, love the food and life here is pretty good. Thanks intlmove for your help with moving to india.