A Business Professor reviews Doing Business in India, by Professor Rajesh Kumar of Aarhus School of Business (Denmark) and Anand Kumar Sethi of Applied Technology Services- a book that offers some ‘understanding’ of the country, and also a few controversial claims:

It places the growth of India in a historic context, arguing that it was “the very first globalized economy in the history of the world”. It discusses the fight among European countries over the imperialism of India and explains how the 250 years of colonial slavery continues to affect Indian attitudes towards global business even in the 21st century. It discusses how Indian culture and offers suggestions for companies interested in conducting business in India.

The book’s most controversial claim is perhaps the repeated assertion that India should be considered culturally western. For example, on page 38 the authors state “Indians are closer to Europeans/Americans than they are to Asians”. This claim is repeated multiple times in the paper, with the authors arguing that the Indian culture should be considered western, not eastern.