Why India - Page 1

With a projected GDP growth of over 7%, 350 million middle-class consumers with growing purchasing power and 564 million people under the age 20, Indian market is reshaping the world's economy. India's investment needs for healthcare, education, energy, infrastructure and hightech offer lucrative opportunities for U.S businesses and NRIs around the world. For instance, 'franchising' is a new, rapidly growing business concept in India that has caught the attention of the franchisors and small businesses around the world. It is currently 3% of India's total retail market ($330 Billion) and is growing 30% annually.

New Delhi, India's capital, is not only an important commercial and industrial center, it is also the central place for networking effectively with key business and government agencies. Together with Gurgaon and Noida, it forms the National Capital Region (NCR). Gurgaon, one of the four satellite cities of New Delhi is the industrial and financial center of Haryana State and hosts a 'who is who' list of multinational companies with their call and data centers. Noida, located in Uttar Pradesh is a highly desirable location for businesses due to its Special Economic Zones (SEZ), proximity to New Delhi and major public and private plans for economic expansion.

Key factors to doing business successfully in India include advance planning with a thorough understanding of the target markets, teaming up with reliable local partners and a sustained commitment towards the country and its people.

This Guide brings together at one place all the practical information you need to benefit from this growth story. Rather than providing definite answer regarding the procedures, time and costs involved in each of these items, we have provided resources that handle these in the most effective manner and how you can best leverage them. In addition to providing the general information sources, expert consultants for each subject matter are also recommended that can help you navigate the unchartered waters. These experts are experienced in handling not only 'hard aspects' of business execution such as filing legal forms and obtaining necessary permissions for your business but also with 'soft aspects' such as business and cultural norms, flexible time commitments, hiring and firing of the employees and creating lasting and profitable relationships.