Never schedule a critical meeting at 9:00 AM. The first hour of the day is for chai and checking the newspaper. The real work starts at 11:00 AM. The Bottom Line India is not a country you "visit." It is a country you experience . It will frustrate you with its noise, seduce you with its colors, and warm you with its hospitality.

When you think of India, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the ethereal glow of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, the spicy aroma of a butter chicken, or the rhythmic chant of "Namaste."

But while the postcards are pretty, the real India is a delicious contradiction. It is ancient, yet hyper-modern. It is deeply spiritual, yet wildly materialistic. It is chaotic, yet it follows a rhythm that only a local can dance to.