India Inc takes culture route to Tokyo

The aim: Deepening and enriching private relationships to push Indo-Japan trade beyond today’s paltry $4 billion.

Infosys, Mitsubishi, Sansui, Sona Koyo, i-Flex Solutions, Asahi Glass, Bharat Forge, TastyBite, Kentosh Toshiba, Citizen Watches and Mitsui are all aboard the India Japan Initiative (IJI). This not-for-profit body forging Indo-Japanese business links through soft bridges is the brainchild of Geetanjali Kirloskar of the Kirloskar Group.

IJI was set up last July to tackle cultural roadblocks that make India Inc believe Japan is a ‘tough country’ to crack, despite being a goldmine of opportunity. It gets India Inc to know the Japanese mind, while giving Japan Inc its first view of a modern, up-and-coming, responsive India.

‘‘India must recognise that Japanese love karaoke bars, golf and their home cuisine. Similarly, Japanese firms are trying to understand Indian lifestyle to make their stay here comfortable,’’ says Kirloskar, the IJI chairperson, who also co-chairs Ficci’s Indo-Japan Business Council and CII’s India Brand Equity Fund.

One hundred visits to Japan and 12 years later, Kirloskar spotted the similarities in the way India and Japan work and play—and decided it was time for action. ‘‘If Indians recognise the role of softer issues in boosting trade, mutual business will boom, and that’s why I set up IJI,’’ she says.

In a year, IJI’s 13 members have showcased aspects of Japanese family values, business culture, language and etiquette to India Inc. But from September onwards, it will be Japanese executives’ turn to get a sample of Indian food, history and business climate in a series of week-long ‘Indian Lifestyle’ events in Tokyo.

‘‘IJI believes that the dams, bridges and trains will all come. But first, events like these must create an intellectual and emotional connect and deepen mutual understanding,’’ says Kirloskar, who plans to rope in Karan Johar to coach Japanese firms on Indian youth culture at the event.

The ‘Indian Lifestyle Festival,’ as she calls it, plans to get Indian chefs to demonstrate little recipes with alternative spices that Japanese women can try making at home. A fashion show will showcase how modern Indian women dress, while a group of around 100 modern Indian artists will hold an exhibition.

One year of showcasing Japanese culture in India has already made IJI a hit with wives of Japanese businessmen in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Kirloskar now hopes to replicate some of these events in Japan.

In June, for instance, its Ladies’ Association visited an NGO in Bangalore, where they held an origami demonstration. Later, Satya Paul briefed the ladies on how to wear sarees with pants, while Zaveri organised a lecture on the history of Indian jewellery.

‘‘The ladies were so happy to be able to contribute that they now want to be ambassadors of India Inc in Japan. We’re looking at a similar response from the Japan events,’’ says Kirloskar, adding, ‘‘Happy Japanese families in India means happy Japanese businessmen, and more business ties in the long run.’’

The view has certainly found an echo. Says Mitsubishi India MD Munakata, an IJI charter member in Delhi, ‘‘Japanese firms are generally keen on coming to India, but person-to-person interactions are key to keep the trend going. Personally, my wife is enjoying herself in Delhi, so automatically, I started enjoying my stay.’’

Other members also feel that the India-Japan relationship has been restricted to mechanical business seminars for far too long-to meet the government’s target of $10 billion next year, a re-thinking is needed. ‘‘We need to go beyond presentations and power lunches, and create a stronger bond between Indian and Japanese firms,’’ says Surinder Kapoor, Chairman, Sona Koyo Steering Systems, another key IJI member.