Safety: while most visits to India are trouble free, there are some important safety issues to be noted. Travellers should be particularly diligent on crowded trains as thieves are known to operate on the most popular routes. In some cases, it has been known for tourists to be drugged and robbed, you are advised not to accept drinks from strangers, especially if you are travelling alone. Visitors are advised against any travel to rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir as violent conflict is possible. There are cases each year of tourists drowning and you should always check with local people before swimming in the sea, particularly on the beaches outside of the main tourist areas. Travelling from April to June can be quite an experience, as the heat is oppressive at times with temperatures of 45°C not uncommon in some regions. The main monsoon in India starts in the south in early June and spreads northwards. India has a large number of colourful and interesting festivals, and it is well worth checking out the dates of some of the major ones, although beware that accommodation and restaurant prices might also rise accordingly. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels and expensive restaurants, but for most day-to-day business; such as transport, buying snacks and drinks and shopping in markets, cash is essential. Traveller’s cheques are usually exchanged with no problems, although as with cash, it is best to take either US Dollar or UK Pound traveller’s cheques. Language: Hindi is the official language in India, spoken by around 30 per cent of the population. English is also widely spoken, especially in any official or commercial business. There are a large number of regional languages including Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Tamil. The country’s Muslim population generally speak Urdu. Business needs: English is widely used as the language of business in India, so business visitors should have no problems in this area. Technology and I.T is a thriving area in India, so internet access and international telephone dialling is widely available. Typical business hours: normal business hours are 09:30 to 17:00 Monday to Friday, and 09:30 to 13:00 on Saturday. | 
