Richard Gere with Shilpa Shetty at the AIDS awareness event where he kissed her

London, July 23: No kissing, please, they’re Indian, could best sum up the advice being given to British businessmen going to India by the UK India Business Council, an organisation which exists to boost trade relations between the two countries.

The “dos and don’ts” recommended by the UKIBC include the following: “With women, only shake hands if they offer it. Do not kiss them in greeting or goodbye.”

The UKIBC will be addressed next Monday by David Solomons, the chief executive officer of CultureSmart!Consulting, who recalled the controversy caused by Richard Gere when the Hollywood star publicly and enthusiastically embraced and kissed Shilpa Shetty, the Bollywood actress, in India last year.

Gere, who was in India to promote AIDS awareness, was slammed by Solomons in an interview today with The Telegraph.

Although Shilpa herself had dismissed critics in India for being part of a “lunatic fringe”, Solomons said: “Kissing Shilpa Shetty was completely culturally inappropriate and embarrassing. Hollywood stars think they have a right to do whatever they want to do.”

The UKIBC, which says it is launching “Indian etiquette” classes in London, offers other tips, among them: “Greet with a smile, handshake and small talk; saying ‘Namaste’ with a slight bow and palms together will be appreciated; dress conservatively and formally; and always address colleagues with title followed by surname, e.g. Mr Patel. Using a first name is seen as being very familiar and disrespectful.”

While it is not unusual in Britain to open a gift the moment it is proffered so that the giver can immediately be thanked, it is apparently the other way round in India: “Don’t open gifts until the giver has left the room. Don’t seem too eager to open gifts.”

Some suggestions can be classed as common sense but are nevertheless included: “Indians are not always punctual, so be patient and flexible; they may call on weekends for discussing business, so don’t be offended; standing with hands on hips is considered rude; and do not talk down or patronisingly to Indian colleagues and business partners.”

Commenting on the “Cultural Briefing” sessions being held under the Insight India banner, UKIBC chief executive Sharon Bamford said: “India has a rich and diverse cultural landscape; a land of huge opportunities. UK India Business Council exists to ensure that UK business is ready and able to capitalise on these opportunities. Helping business succeed in India is our priority, and integral to doing business in India is an understanding of its religions, politics and etiquette. We are launching the Insight India series to address these issues.”

According to the British Council, there are already over 32,000 Britons who reside in India and the number is growing steadily. While the UKIBC has taken up the mantle of education on Indian etiquette, many Indian companies are training young graduates about British culture and mannerisms.

However, Solomons expressed concern about the cultural training being given to Indian businessmen on their way to the West in general and Britain in particular.

Such training, he said, was based on the Indian educational system, which encouraged learning by heart and the ability to reproduce that information as well as unquestioning respect for elders and seniors. But in Britain, where people were “more direct” and “interactive”, Indian attitudes often came across as “passive”.

Solomons explained that he generally avoided giving businessmen a list of “dos and don’ts”. Instead of excessive reliance on book and academic learning, he urged businessmen to be observant of the behaviour of their Indian counterparts and “mirror” their modus operandi.

“Don’t kiss if they are not kissing,” he said.

CultureSmart!Consulting, formed in association with Kuperard, publishers of the Culture Smart! Guides, has a book on India, with a potted contemporary history and culture of the country.

“Accept that things take time,” the visitor to India is told, along with, “Flattery and complimenting are an important way of putting people at ease” and that “for ‘at home’ invitations, arrive 15 to 30 minutes late”.

The book also says that foreigners “probably shouldn’t display affection in public”.