Outside the Cube Goes International

A couple of weeks ago, completely on a whim, I hopped a plane and joined a friend for 12 days exploring India. The majority of my time was spent in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, and the financial capital of India

With a metro population of over 20 million people, one of the most incredible things I experienced was the traffic. Watching cars, rickshaws and motorbikes move about the streets was like watching rivers collide at the opening of an ocean. It seemed chaotic, and almost impossible to manage, but somehow things all flowed together.

As the fourth-largest economy and one of the foremost emerging markets in the world, India operates at high speeds and on different terms, and like the traffic, it might be difficult for us to comprehend the overall business environment. But while the rules of the road may be a bit different, the same basic principles apply.

The media landscape of India is not quite like that in the U.S. They consume more print media products and aren’t “quite there yet” in terms of digital, but the rate at which its economy is growing is incredible, and that equates to potential for incredible growth opportunities for partnering companies if the correct groundwork for that partnership is laid.

The possibility for growth and the potential for ROI is huge if you put in some effort. If you want to ride the roads over there, you have to take the time to read the map and get acquainted with the lay of the land before hopping in the driver’s seat and kicking it into gear.

A partnership starts with presence. If you want to do business over there, you have to go there. You must take the time, make the trip, meet the people, and learn the lingo, so to speak; get a better understanding of how things truly work from ground zero and take it from there.

Posted by Wally Koval