Specialist Firms Help Indian Businesses Navigate Japanese Etiquette
New Delhi, India, December 2, 2014 (Newswire.com) - While the Indo-Japan relationship has always been cordial, the recent bonhomie between Indian PM Modi and Japan’s Shinzo Abe has ignited a rush on both sides to try and make the most of natural synergies that exist between the two countries.
While it sounds like a match made in heaven, the reality is far more grueling. Indian firms are often frustrated by the strict adherence to protocol and rigidity of Japanese businesses. Japanese firms are often aghast at the lack of systems and processes in India. The result is neither knows how to deal with the other and what should have been a marriage made in heaven turns into a slow and agonizing march towards a bitter divorce.
This is where specialist firms like iRikai come in. In order to bridge the communication and cultural gaps between businesses from the two countries, iRikai has been conducting courses on Japanese business etiquette for Indian businesses as well as Indian business etiquette for the Japanese. “We offer the most comprehensive training solutions for Indian firms looking to do business with Japanese firms, and vice versa. From how to use chopsticks to CXO level negotiating strategies – we have provided training on all aspects.” At a time when there are Japanese restaurants coming up even in remote Neemrana, this seems like a service offering poised to boom. How then, does iRikai differentiate itself from others? “Our management team has strong experience internationally, including in Japan. Our experience in the Indo-Japanese sector spans from negotiating on behalf of clients with the largest Japanese steel mills to assisting a private equity fund with their Japan road show. Therefore, when we teach, we do not offer just theory – we showcase learnings from our own experiences and have developed our own case studies.”
Indian IT firms too, long relatively quiet on the Japan front, are taking aggressive steps to try and tap the market. While language has traditionally been a barrier, the sector is making a renewed push. “It is definitely one of our focus areas. For IT firms, we actually offer 2 types of solutions – we have Japanese language courses across levels which can be taken online by their employees. The benefit is the flexibility of being able to learn even when they travel to Japan or anywhere in the world. In addition, we provide cultural sensitization courses for employees going to Japan on assignments.”And are Japanese firms interested in learning about Indian culture and business etiquette as well? “You’d be surprised!” says the iRikai official. “We hear so many grievances from the Japanese about not being able to understand the Indian way. We get a lot of demand from Japanese firms for trainings in Indian business etiquette. They too are interested in learning the Indian way – from how to meet and address people to figuring out the messages that often get lost between the lines.”
From IT firms to hotels and manufacturing firms, it seems like a knowledge of Japanese business etiquette is a must-have for firms looking to do business with Japan.