India is now one of the most successful economies in the world, with an annual growth of more than 8%. This was a major reason why I decided to go to India.  In Germany I am studying for my Master of Education for Business Schools. Work experience in a foreign country gives me an excellent opportunity to gain experiences which will be helpful in my work as a teacher later.

At first sight India seemed to be another planet compared to Germany! After a few weeks I found more similarities than expected.

Germans are considered very punctual, efficient and accurate. Not for nothing German products are very popular in foreign countries, and India is no exception. A glance on the street shows BMWs, VWs and other German cars. Companies like Bosch or Siemens are known for their quality products. Rightly we Germans are proud of our economy, and are sometimes called the master of exports. But our punctuality can also be an obstruction. You would hardly find a German sitting in the office till 10 o’ clock in the night to finish their project. So somehow our punctuality and accuracy may affect our ambition.  .

On the other hand, the Indian work culture, especially in the IT industry, seems to be a lot more different. At times I see colleagues sitting in the office till 10 o’ clock and later. And even when all the work is done, colleagues meet each other in the kitchen to drink a cup of tea or play some board games. A company is not just a place for working – Indians consider the work place as a second home!

So while Indians can certainly learn to be more punctual and accurate like Germans, Germans can and should adopt a better attitude towards work. Why not learn from each other, and become better?

When thinking of outsourcing product development or software services to India, Germans are mostly worried about the quality of work and the process orientation. I, as a German, can say that all these worries are absolutely without any reason. I have never seen so many hard working people at one place.

Many Fortune 500 companies already have offices or production facilities in India. So what are we Germans waiting for? Outsource to India and increase your revenues!

We’re listening.

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