Like a stampeding force of nature, India assails every sense and seems determined to stun one into submission.

Larger than life —and twice as chaotic — India blasts forth with a vitality and vibrancy seldom found in other countries. It’s fascinating, colorful, exotic, frustrating and overwhelming; and the cosmopolitan capital city of the Republic of India, New Delhi, is perhaps the epitome. Streets are jammed with people and vehicles and the heat can be oppressive, but few places can boast its visual interest and sheer aliveness, making other cities seem dull and drab by comparison.

New Delhi is the political, commercial and financial center of the country. Its huge workforce, coupled with the fact that English is one of India’s official languages, makes it an excellent place for doing business. This is especially true in sectors attracting increased foreign investment, such as tourism, banking, telecommunications, media and IT.

When you first meet your Indian colleagues, don’t be surprised if they engage in a fair amount of small talk. Before talking business, they will likely ask questions about your life and family and your impressions of India. Indians are open to lively discussions and debates, but foreigners should steer clear of subjects involving Hindi-Muslim relations or the topic of castes, which can be touchy areas.

Despite their interest in you personally, there is not much socializing done outside of business meetings. It would be fairly unusual to be invited to an organized event, such as the theater or a cricket match, by a business colleague in an effort to strengthen contacts.

Work hours and business hours are not as defined as in the United States, and many businesspeople work evenings and weekends. But businesspeople in the private sector frequently have a flexible attitude about punctuality and will forgive you being a few minutes late, which, considering the traffic situation in the city, is always a possibility. However, if you are meeting with government officials, it’s best to be on time, as they tend to see lateness as a sign of disrespect.

Business cards are exchanged at every opportunity, but Indians don’t often have their mobile phone number on them. Since this is the best way of contacting them, try to get your Indian clients to write theirs on the back of their card.

It’s not unusual for Western business travelers to feel a bit smothered by the attention paid to them. Hotel and restaurant staff seem to never be able to do enough for you, and the constant efforts to please can seem overwhelming at times, but it is just the Indian way.

Though not compulsory, tipping is common and often expected in India. After a meal, a 5 to 10 percent tip for good service is common, and taxi drivers expect a small tip. Therefore, it’s important to have some small change available, which isn’t always easy to come by. When changing money, you will undoubtedly get a handful of large bills. Try to use these when buying something in order to get some small change in return, like five-rupee coins, for tipping. This is not always as easy as it sounds, since shops are as reluctant to get stuck with big bills as you are.

Most of the year, the weather is blisteringly hot and humid, but the winter months can actually be quite chilly. This is made more so because few places have central heating. If you are traveling to New Delhi in December, January or February, pack a warm sweater and even a fleece, just in case.

Regardless of the time of year, businesspeople in India generally wear conservative Western business attire. Not exactly the coolest alternative when the weather is swelteringly hot, the best policy is to try to spend as little time as possible outside. If you have a business meeting outside of your hotel, do what the locals do: Jump from an air-conditioned taxi into an air-conditioned building.

Connaught Place is one of the liveliest business districts in New Delhi and has plenty of hotels and restaurants appealing to the business traveler. Since business meetings are frequently conducted over lunch, a centrally located hotel with a good restaurant is an excellent choice.

Built in the 1930s during the colonial period, the beautifully restored Imperial New Delhi has a rich history. The service is superb, and the hotel has a number of restaurants and bars and an award-winning spa. Dual-line phones with data port and voicemail, fax machine capability and wireless Internet are available in all guestrooms and suites. All of this luxury comes at a price; but if the budget allows, this is a lovely place to stay.

Though it lacks The Imperial’s historic panache, The LaLiT New Delhi is a 5-star property with excellent service and a number of restaurants that can be venues for business lunches.

The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, aka The Met, is another good hotel choice. Stylish, sleek and modern, the hotel’s Chutney Bar & Tandoor restaurant serves up Indian fusion cuisine paired with various homemade chutneys and offers an “Executive Business Lunch.”

Véda restaurant has an extensive menu with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. It’s a good place to meet clients in a central Connaught Place location for a business lunch at a reasonable price.

No matter how many stunning restaurant interiors you’ve seen, it’s hard not to be impressed by The Spice Route, located in The Imperial hotel. Walls were handpainted by muralists brought in from a Kerala temple, and antique works of art are scattered throughout. Regarded as one of the top restaurants in the world, the décor is amazing and the food first-rate. If the budget allows, this is definitely the place to meet an important client for a business lunch. The restaurant recently introduced a four-course “Express Lunch Menu” for a fixed price of 3,000 rupees (approximately $55) per person.

For a less expensive alternative, Royal China India serves Cantonese cuisine and is a popular spot with Delhiites, who come for the reasonably priced dim sum lunches.