About a month ago, I was asked by the Globe and Mail to provide my advice on “How to Break into the Indian Market”, answering the challenge of tapping into the opportunities in that part of the world.  Particularly welcome was the fact that the article did not focus on the select few large Canadian companies that have a vibrant presence there.  It goes without saying that more large companies need to develop and implement strategies for that market but even more relevant are the opportunities for the smaller and medium sized organizations.  India is a complex country and business practices vary from region to region.  A Canadian SME may wish to consider five steps as it contemplates implementing an India-related strategy.

1. Build your market intelligence right here in Canada. There are any number of organizations that now have India on their radar screen.  For SMEs, take a look at Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce.
2. As global activity moves increasingly to the sub-national level, you may be surprised at the contacts your local businesses and municipalities (economic development offices) have with India.  Take the example of Novo Plastics in Markham, Ontario, a company that has India firmly on its radar screen. It has experienced success with major Indian conglomerates.  Its expertise lies at the intersection of the plastics and engineering sectors. 
3. Touch base with a major Canadian law firm and seek their advice.  Virtually all the major ones have an “India desk.”  They will put you in touch with their Indian counterparts.
4. Lead from the top and while you need to work with your financial constraints “front end” your commitment.  It will get you the attention of prospective business partners.
5. Make a reconnaissance trip to India with any one of Canadian delegations that are going there.  Use the first trip as a way to begin the process of understanding the country, its business culture and developing local relationships. 

All of the above should be guided by an assessment of how your product or service is responsive to the Indian market.  Indian organizations like the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Indian Brand Equity Foundation will give you a valuable guide to the pulse and trends in the Indian economy.  If you meet the twin test of your distinctive strengths with the Indian need for what you do – the pathway to success becomes more realistic.

Kasi Rao is the owner of Kasi Rao Consultants, a Toronto-based business advisory firm that provides strategic guidance to broader public and private sector organizations on matters pertaining to higher education, government relations, business development and policy issues, with a particular focus on India.

TELUS business kicked off the first of their Challenge event series yesterday with an exclusive breakfast event at TELUS House in Toronto.

The year-long event series follows in the footsteps of TELUS’ national ‘customer first’ campaign, and focused on supporting small businesses with common business challenges.  This months’ theme addressed the question: how can my business be more productive with our existing resources?

The session opened with seasoned tech journalist and regular contributor to TELUS talks business, Marc Saltzman who showcased 7 hot business productivity apps including Evernote, a popular download among the business crowd, touting 20 million users, according to Gigaom.

Photo: Tech journalist & guest blogger on TELUS talks business, Marc Saltzman

“The type of apps you choose to help you be more productive in your business really depends on what kind of business you’re in,” said Saltzman.  “For instance, I’m a tech journalist, so I rely heavily on word processing documents in my tablets and smartphones and I need a powerful calendar”.

Photo: Les Base, Director of Business Development for Advertek

TELUS customer Les Base of Advertek, an integrated print production company, spoke next and  focused on how the print business has evolved and the implications it’s had on their business doing more with existing resources.

“What once took three weeks now takes three hours.  We’re achieving our objectives and meeting requirements with the help of our digital workflow,” said Les.

One of the ways in which they are able to do more was by working with the right partners to help them focus on their customers.  “One of the main reasons we moved over to TELUS was not just because of the savings (about 20% per month) but because TELUS has been great to work with, they made it easy for us to switch over.”

Piero Fusco, director of sales for TELUS closed the event on a high note with the announcement that TELUS will once again be sponsoring “The Challenge” contest launching this March.  Supported by The Globe & Mail, "The Challenge" gives small business owners the chance to win a $100,000 small business grant.

“Every day we have to make decisions around business challenges,” Fusco says.  “The challenge series is designed to help you address those challenges and share knowledge more broadly with the chance to win $100,000 to help your business grow”.

For more information on the TELUS challenge, visit www.globeandmail.com/thechallenge.  You can follow the challenge series on twitter using hashtag: #TELUSchallenge.