Number and style of interview rounds
Indian hiring processes frequently include a distinct HR round late in the process focused on salary expectations, notice period, and offer logistics, separate from the technical or managerial rounds. US processes more often fold compensation questions into a recruiter screen at the very start, then keep later rounds focused purely on skills and fit.
Hierarchy and communication style
Indian interview culture tends to be more hierarchy-aware, candidates are expected to address senior interviewers with visible deference and are less likely to challenge a question or push back on a premise. US interviews reward candidates who politely push back, ask clarifying questions, or disagree with a scenario if they have a reason, this is read as confidence rather than disrespect.
Mistakes when moving between the two markets
Candidates used to the Indian HR round sometimes wait for a dedicated salary conversation in a US process that never comes separately, and lose leverage by not raising it when the recruiter first asks. Candidates used to US directness sometimes push back too hard on an Indian interviewer's question in a way that reads as confrontational rather than engaged.