‘Horrible service, zero trust...’: Viral post says Indian name hurts business emails, ignites debate on global bias

A Reddit user has ignited a heated discussion after sharing that he gets better responses when using a non-Indian name in business emails. In his post, titled "Why does nobody want to do business with Indians?", the user, revealed that he works in B2B sales and has created an “alter ego” with a non-Indian name. “Whenever I send emails using my non-Indian name, I get better results vs. when I use my Indian name,” he wrote, highlighting a troubling pattern.  

A deeper issue or external bias  

The user also pointed out that, in various business communities, it’s commonly discussed that companies prefer not to engage with Indian businesses. “Be it service or product, nobody wants to sell to or buy from Indians,” he noted, questioning whether this was due to external discrimination or flaws within Indian business culture itself.  

“I know I am being too generic here, but it makes me crazy seeing this discrimination,” he wrote. “But then I wonder, maybe we are at fault here?”  

His concerns struck a chord, triggering a flood of responses from others who have experienced similar biases — some attributing it to negative perceptions of Indian business practices.  

Frustrations with Indian business culture  

One user, who claimed to work closely with both Indian and Middle Eastern businesses, pointed to poor customer experience as a major factor. “Indian companies provide a horrible customer experience, especially people from Delhi NCR. They don’t even know how to talk, they’re aggressive, overpromise, and act like the client has no idea about the business,” they wrote. They also blamed call center scams and social media trends for damaging India’s reputation, noting that countries like Vietnam and the Philippines are emerging as more reliable alternatives.  

Another commenter highlighted stark differences in communication styles between Indian and Western teams. “I was assigned to a project under an American team lead, and the way they spoke to each other was astonishing. Now, I’m on a team with an Indian lead, and the way we talk — even among ourselves — is just ridiculous.”  

A third user, an Indian who has lived abroad for 20 years, said they actively avoid doing business with Indian firms, particularly those from North India. Their top complaints included excessive bargaining, lack of basic etiquette, and a sense of entitlement. “They negotiate in an unreasonable way, won’t show up for meetings they requested, and think being a customer means they can be as demanding as they wish — even if it’s unrealistic.”  

Global perception problem  

Another user noted that Indian business outreach — especially emails and calls — is often dismissed as spam. “For most of the US, UK, Europe, Middle East, and ANZ, Indian emails and calls are equivalent to call center spam, so they’re not as open to talking.”  

An American businessman also chimed in, calling his experiences with Indian clients “a nightmare.” He described them as “extremely cheap, very demanding, not personable, and arrogant,” adding, “It’s not a generalization. All of them.”  

While the thread featured a mix of perspectives, it underscored a growing perception problem for Indian businesses. Whether the bias is justified or unfair, the discussion suggests that trust and professionalism remain key challenges in the global market.