Navigating international projects oftenmeans adapting to various cultural expectations and business practices. Onenotable example from 112Hub was our experience with an Indian IT company aimingto establish a new office in Bucharest, Romania. This particular case stood outfor the time it took—nearly two years of persistent work—and the culturaldifferences we navigated along the way, most notably the “late-night calls.”
In early 2020, we were approached by amid-sized Indian IT company with around 500 employees. They had been growingsteadily in India and wanted to establish a European base of operations tobetter serve their international clients. Romania, with its skilled workforceand attractive business environment, seemed like the perfect location. Afterhearing about our successful track record in setting up operations for othercompanies, they entrusted us with the task of helping them open their Bucharestoffice.
The Beginning: Laying the Foundation fora New Office in Bucharest
From the start, we knew this project wouldbe different. The Indian client was highly ambitious and expected rapidresults. They wanted a fully functional office in Bucharest, complete withlegal registration, tax compliance, a local team of software developers, and aready-to-go infrastructure within a matter of months. With our experience andnetwork of Romanian partners—including lawyers, accountants, and real estateagents—we felt up to the challenge. But as the process unfolded, we quicklyrealized the cultural differences that would shape this project.
In India, business operates differentlythan it does in Europe. The client is always the boss, and employees areexpected to be available around the clock. The concept of a strict 9-to-5workday doesn’t hold the same weight, especially for managers who often makedecisions well after office hours. This became clear during our initialmeetings, where we found ourselves regularly fielding calls from India late atnight—sometimes as late as 10 or 11 p.m. For the Indian executives, this wassimply the way business was done: decisions were made on their time, and theexpectation was that we would be available to execute immediately.
The Process: Balancing Time Zones andExpectations
At 112Hub, we offer 24/7 support as part ofour service, so these late-night calls didn’t disrupt our internal workflow.Our team is used to being flexible and available, especially when working withclients in different time zones. However, the real challenge came when we hadto coordinate with our Romanian partners, who were not accustomed to this levelof availability. The lawyers, accountants, and real estate agents we workedwith in Bucharest were dedicated professionals, but they were used to Europeanbusiness hours and found it difficult to adapt to the round-the-clock demandsof our Indian client.
For example, one of our Romanian legalpartners, a firm that had helped us with other international expansions, wasinitially caught off guard by the late calls. They had just completed a longday of meetings when a request came in from India at 10:30 p.m. for an urgentreview of a legal document. While they eventually adjusted to the fast-paced,unpredictable schedule, the cultural difference in work expectations was clear.We had to act as mediators, managing client expectations while ensuring our partnerscould maintain their own work-life balance.
This dynamic wasn’t limited to just thelegal team. Our accounting partners were similarly surprised by the frequentlate-night requests for financial forecasts or tax planning advice. And thereal estate agency that helped us find the perfect office space in Bucharesthad to accommodate site visits and contract negotiations at odd hours. Despitethe occasional frustration, everyone involved understood the stakes. The Indiancompany was making a significant investment, and there was a clear sense of urgencybehind every request.
The Setback: Delays and Complications
What was initially supposed to be asix-month project turned into nearly two years of work. The pandemic certainlyplayed a role in slowing things down, with travel restrictions and shiftingregulations affecting our timelines. But cultural differences also contributedto the delays. The Indian team was highly detail-oriented and frequentlyrevised their plans, leading to additional meetings, document reviews, andcontract renegotiations. Each time we thought we were approaching the finishline, new requests or concerns would pop up.
Our Romanian partners, while understanding,sometimes struggled to keep up with the unpredictable nature of the project.Several suppliers we worked with noted that this was one of the most demandingprojects they had ever been involved in, primarily due to the sheer volume ofafter-hours work. The learning curve was steep, but in the end, everyoneadapted to the unique demands of the project.
The Success: A New Office in Bucharest
Despite the challenges, we succeeded inopening the Indian company’s Bucharest office by early 2022. The office wasfully operational with a local team of software engineers, and the company wasable to begin its European expansion. The Indian client expressed theirsatisfaction with our work, and though the process took longer than initiallyexpected, they were pleased with the final outcome.
Reflecting on the Experience: LessonsLearned
This project taught us a great deal aboutthe cultural differences between India and Europe, particularly regarding workschedules and client expectations. In India, the client is king, andflexibility is non-negotiable. While we were able to manage this dynamic, itproved more challenging for our local Romanian partners, who weren’t used tothe same level of availability.
A few key takeaways from this experiencestand out:
- Client-Centric Culture: In India, the client dictates the terms, and work schedules are far more fluid. This is something we’ve learned to respect and adapt to, but it’s important to communicate these expectations clearly to all partners involved in a project.
- Adaptability is Crucial: While we at 112Hub are equipped to handle 24/7 communication, not all partners are. Ensuring that everyone involved understands the project’s demands from the beginning can help avoid frustration and ensure smoother collaboration.
- Patience Pays Off: Though the project took nearly two years, we never lost sight of the end goal. Maintaining open communication and managing expectations, both with the client and our Romanian partners, was key to the project’s success.
In the end, we learned that sometimessuccess is just a matter of taking a deep breath, picking up that 11 p.m. call,and reminding ourselves that cultural differences are part of what makes globalbusiness so rewarding—even if it means losing a bit of sleep along the way.
