What should I know about running a business in India?

Expert Info

Posted by indiav

on 24 May 2016

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and just looking for some friendly advice or even just chat. I'm a Londoner and looking to leave the rat race behind. I love Kerala and Kochi and giving serious thought to moving there and starting up my own business. Are there any expats here with experience of running their own businesses and how they started up? Also interested in finding out what expat community there is in Kochi. I want to make friends with local Indian people too but it's always good to have a mix. Anyone interested in chatting would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to visit Kochi again in the relatively near future and hopefully stay for maybe a month if I can manage it, just so that I can try and get a real feel for living as a local. Many thanks for your time and advice :)

Anonymous (not verified) on 25 May 2016 - 09:05

Hi Indiav,

What type of business are you hoping to set up in Kochi? Have you made any business contacts there already?

It is good to take the time to learn about local business practices and etiquette when moving to a new country. I suggest read our page on Doing Business in India for a good overview.

Shantalie

indiav on 25 May 2016 - 10:01

Hi Shantalie, thanks for replying! I'm good at baking, people are always telling me I should have my own bakery, and it's the only other thing I know how to do other than IT project management, which I'm trying to get away from. I know a few people in Kerala, and some people from Kerala who live in London, but no formal business contacts yet. I've been given the name of an advocate I can use, it's just very early stages for me so just putting feelers out for suggestions and other people's experiences, bad and good. I think probably I'm limited in what I can do from the UK and will have to go to Kochi to really get into it, but finding out as much as possible before I go will help. I hope to go for a month any time between now and Christmas. Thanks for your post!

Anonymous (not verified) on 26 May 2016 - 10:05

Good Luck!

Do your research and try to make some contacts out there before you set the business up.

What kind of visa do you plan on getting?

Shantalie

Anonymous (not verified) on 26 May 2016 - 10:57

I've been told by the visa centre that I need a business visa. How long I'll get on one I don't know, maybe I'll ask for 2 years and see how I get on. I reckon I'll need the first year just to set things up and get operational, and the 2nd year to see how well it does. Then after that I'll see if they'll give me a longer term visa. I know I have to leave the country every 6 months on a business visa. Is that just a case of maybe spending a weekend in somewhere like Dubai and then coming back to India? Not sure how that works. I wouldn't want to be away for any length of time, if I want to buy a residential property in India I need to be there for minimum 6 months to show my long term stay intentions. There's a lot for me to research that's for sure!

Anonymous (not verified) on 3 Jun 2016 - 09:16

Hi there

Have you spoken to an immigration lawyer about your situation? They usually know about any loopholes in the system.

As far as I can tell, on a business visa you are expected to leave the country every 6 months.

Read more on the Visas for India page.

Shantalie

Anonymous (not verified) on 3 Jun 2016 - 10:39

That's a good idea, I could speak to an immigration lawyer to find out exactly where I stand. Many thanks for the suggestion ☺

Dean F on 6 Aug 2020 - 12:22

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this website. I am currently researching a relocation to Kerala, wanting to keep my current business in UK operational and open a branch in India. My intention is to stay in India permanently. Could you please share how you got on and the advice you were given. I too am from UK.

Many thanks

Dean

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