India: Flexible — Time Is Treated Loosely.
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Flexible — Time Is Treated Loosely. "IST" is jokingly reinterpreted by locals as "Indian Stretchable Time" — a widely acknowledged concept where social and even some casual professional start times are treated loosely.
India: Flexible — Time Is Treated Loosely. "IST" is jokingly reinterpreted by locals as "Indian Stretchable Time" — a widely acknowledged concept where social and even some casual professional start times are treated loosely.
In India, start times for social and even some casual plans are treated as approximate rather than fixed — visitors are expected to adjust their expectations.
No — professional meetings run more punctually than social gatherings almost everywhere in the world, regardless of a country's general reputation. Default to arriving on time or a few minutes early for anything business-related.
This reflects general social norms, not business-context rules — professional meetings tend to run more punctually than social gatherings almost everywhere, regardless of a country's overall reputation. When in doubt, showing up on time is never the wrong call.