Made in India: Are you ready for outsourced contract manufacturing?

Abstract

Within the biotechnology industry, the number of US–India collaborations is on the rise. However, there are several reoccurring problems many US firms identify in their collaborations, including smaller than expected cost savings, excessive time spent on managing relationships, production delays and missed deadlines. Oftentimes, these problems arise when there are cross-cultural disconnects in the style of doing business. A deep understanding of the cultural disconnects that are frequently at the root of problems in US–India collaborations is generally not well appreciated by either side. This article seeks to shed light on cross-cultural issues that are typically not addressed in the biotechnology industry but based upon the authors’ personal experiences, and are an important component of a successful US–India collaborative relationship.