The sight that hits you when you are flying into Milan is the Alps. Most of the taller peaks are covered in snow. Milan is a very business-friendly city; small by international standards, but with a wonderful co-existence and adaptation of business within an old European setting. You could conduct a multi-billion dollar deal in a bank that is headquartered in a medieval building. Enormous courtyards, Roman statues and tall ceilings; the atmosphere is something else.
Business over a meal
The first thing you should know about Italians is that around 60 percent of businesses are family-owned. So it is very important that you connect on a business and personal level. And the best way to do that is by meeting them in a restaurant over a meal. Restaurants in Milan are very regional, just like in India. You can have a choice of cuisine like Milanese, Roman, Florentine or Venetian.
(This story appears in the 20 November, 2009 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)