Bhargavi VenugopalThe success of setting up a subsidiary in India depends largely on the person in charge of managing it. This is a good reason to choose him carefully, based on relevant criteria. The subsidiary manager must also create partnerships with local professionals. So it's important that they have good interpersonal skills. On site, they are the main contact for subcontractors, suppliers, customers and the press. Against this backdrop, the question arises as to how to recruit the right manager to run your subsidiary in India.
Using VIEs for market research only
Some SMEs don't hesitate to use VIEs (International Corporate Volunteers) as sales representatives, sending young people aged between 20 and 25 to prospect the Indian market. This strategy is likely to end in failure, or at the very least a waste of time, especially if the VIE is unfamiliar with India.
If the aim is to carry out market research, gather information or test the suitability of a product for the Indian market, the task can be entrusted to a VIE. But making contacts with large Indian companies is likely to be much more complicated, because in this country, age is very important, as is hierarchical position. VIE profiles are therefore not the best profiles to recruit to manage your subsidiary in India. There are always exceptions, of course, and we have already seen some very good VIEs in India who were able to manage and develop the subsidiary of a French company.
Focus on knowledge of and interest in India
Given its cultural specificity and marked differences from the Western world, India is not a country for everyone. It is preferable to send someone to India who already knows the country and has a genuine interest in its culture.
It's also a country that requires a certain intellectual flexibility. There is no question here of simply applying Western management models, but rather of inventing new solutions by integrating the Indian reality. The strategy and success of French managers in India are often linked to the vision they have of the country and the flexibility with which they deal with setbacks.
The right manager to run a subsidiary in India will therefore be someone who already knows the terrain, who is flexible and open-minded. You also need to have a genuine interest in this magnificent country, and some will say that you have to love it.
Building for the long term
The choice of a 'global manager', who will consider his or her time in India as a mere three-year stage in his or her career progression, or even as a bad time to spend before moving on to more interesting positions, is probably not the right option.
The managers who succeed in India are those who most often develop a long-term vision and have been established in the country for at least five or six years. They manage to deal with the high turnover of skilled Indian workers by "hybridising" Western and Indian best practice, and even by making their company a benchmark in terms of training and human resources management.
To sum upChoosing the right manager to run a subsidiary in India is a decision that needs to be carefully considered. Recruiting the right manager to run a subsidiary in India is a challenge.
Knowledge of the country, an interest in its culture, intellectual flexibility and a willingness to build over the long term are all necessary conditions.
This recommendation was published by La Fabrique de l'Exportation, the innovative think tank. It brings together business leaders, academics, representatives of the French administration, heads of institutions dedicated to the international development of companies, representatives of professional organisations, competitiveness clusters and journalists.
Find the ideal manager for your subsidiary in India with our advice
