Pricing for Locals vs. Foreigners in India
Jun 15, 08 Posted in IndiaIndia does pride itself on their nationality. When I took a trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra, it was unbelievable to notice the price differential between the locals and the tourists. It was nearly an 80% difference. My friend from college came with me on this particular trip, and he had never left the country before. He is a Mexican man, with thick curly hair and fair skin. When we walked up to the ticketing booth, he looked at him trying to decipher his nationality. He looked at them square in the eye and said what I told him to say: “Me Kashmir se atha hun”, meaning “I am from Kashmir”. They immediately gave him a price discount, noticing his fair complexion which denotes that he really could be from Northern India. Even if they didn’t, I think they respected the fact he attempted to speak Hindi.
There are some definite advantages to be from India in not just the business world but in everyday life when dealing with the Indians. Although you cannot control things such as the color of your skin or where you come from of course, being adaptive to their culture is key. They see it as a strength and respect it.
