Making A Difference

Hendrikus Van Dord, Executive Vice President of the Indian Economic Trade Organisation, on Working in India, Sustainable Development, Heartrending Experiences With Indians and More…

- Meera Roy

Can you tell us about your work in India?

I came here as Chief of Protocol as I used to work for embassies, Trading Commissions and Ministers abroad. In the beginning, I was the head of the Arab Indian Chamber of Commerce. Currently I am the Executive Vice President of the Indian Economic Trade Organisation. We work more from the Indian perspective towards the world. In the time that I am here I see my duty changing by the week. People need to start a relationship before they start trusting each other to do business. At all levels it happens, from political levels, from country to country, territories, business alliances and business interest groups.

Can you share a funny or emotional moment from your India experience?

I went to a protest organised by the cleaning workers of Bengaluru. When I got home that day, a lady called me. She spoke good English and said, ‘You met my mother today,’ and that she was really happy. Nice, I said. She had never met a foreigner before. I said, ok. She said, ‘Yeah and you gave her your card, right?’ Oh, wow. For me this was a normal gesture, shaking hands and giving my card, because everybody is still a person. But then the fact that I shook her hand made her so happy. She got her daughter to call and say that she was happy that she met a foreigner. She said I had to visit her one day. That would never happen in the United States or Bulgaria or other countries that I worked for. For me that was really, really nice. I felt really acknowledged. I went there because I had the respect for the town I live in.