Indian Companies As Customers, Competitors & Collaborators‪.‬

Indians as Customers Indians have a long tradition as buyers and sellers with foreign countries, having traded for centuries with their neighbours in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Since the fifteenth century, this trade also included Europe, though trade with the Romans has been documented as early as the first century. This has led Indians engaged in business to have a "trader" mentality, with both its positive and negative connotations. Positively, this makes them highly entrepreneurial, always looking for opportunities to do business. Perhaps negatively, especially from the supplier's perspective, this makes them inordinately price sensitive in their purchasing. In other words, Indians are tough negotiators and love bargaining. Any foreigner desiring to sell to an Indian firm should be prepared for this.