Indian techies do IT right in China
Beijing: Indian IT companies are making their presence felt in the land of the dragon and it’s not just about teaching flowcharts and programming languages to the Chinese. A new chapter in Sino-Indian relationship is being scripted by NIIT which is helping many Chinese project managers with programming skills and is inturn acquiring the know-how on Chinese culture. The NIIT syllabus also covers communication, business presentation and negotiation skills, all in tune with Chinese sensibilities. With tie-ups with 10 Chinese universities, NIIT is gradually making its presence felt in this land of hardware. But doing business in China is no easy task. "If the Chinese wants to say he doesn’t like what you have done, he may just remain quiet and then at an appropriate time tell you," says Head of NIIT, China, Prakash Menon. But those aren’t the only lessons Menon and his team are getting learning while they are in China. For any Indian company that’s hoping to do business in China, getting to know the Chinese etiquettes is a must. So while one must never keep his/her chopsticks vertical on the table, serving ones’ neighbour before serving oneself is another requisite. Language is also a serious barrier and cultural issues could leave any brand manager confused. From Wipro to Infosys and Aptech - all software firms operating in China are servicing their multi-national clients. Tata Consultancy Services is the only firm that has made some movement towards breaking into the Chinese domestic market. India Inc says it would take time to get used just to any country's workplace culture. But going by how Indian firms have begun traversing the Great Wall of China, it won’t be too long a march.