Entrepreneur Compares Indian And Global Business Culture, Highlights Differing Contract Practices

A business experience shared online has started a discussion about how contracts are treated in different markets. An entrepreneur said an international client honoured a six-month agreement even after deciding to pause the project, making her reflect on business practices and contracts.

The post was shared by entrepreneur Ananya Narang. She said, "Last month, an international client told us they wanted to pause. He said, 'We're undergoing internal changes. This initiative has been deprioritised.' Fair enough. But we were four months into a six-month contract."

She added that the client then said, "We're signed for six months. We'll honour it. It wouldn't be right for you to absorb the losses because of our internal decisions."

Check Out The Post Here:

Last month, an international client told us they wanted to pause.

He said - “We're undergoing internal changes. This initiative is deprioritised.”

Fair.
But, we were 4 months into a 6-month contract.

Then he said something I rarely hear:

“We signed for 6 months. We'll honour…

— Ananya Narang (@AnanyaNarang_) June 27, 2026

According to Ananya Narang, the client paid for the remaining two months without negotiation or drama.

She said the incident made her think about the way contracts are viewed in India.

She wrote, "In India, everything is negotiable. Everything is relational. Everything is 'adjust kar lo', even after signatures."

She added that most service businesses have experienced payment delays, scope creep without revised commercials, projects being dropped midway, or requests to revisit commercials after the work is done, especially if they are small businesses.

Ananya Narang clarified that her point was not about one country being better than another.

She said, "This isn't about 'foreign good, Indian bad'. It's about business culture. Contracts in many global markets are commitments. Here, they're often treated as a mere formality. That's exactly why many Indian service firms quietly prefer global clients. As a country and as business operators, we need to go beyond 'jugaad' and honour paperwork the way it's meant to be."