Gujaratis enjoyed similar success in other colonies of the British Empire, notably Kenya and South Africa. Memons, in particular, prospered in Burma, trading mainly in teak, rice and tea. Considering how well the Gujaratis did out of the empire, it seems only natural that a Jain from Palanpur, Sanjiv Mehta, should now own the East India Company itself. He snapped up the moribund company in and has opened a posh store bearing its name in London's West End.
It sells fine crockery, traditional marmalades and, inevitably, tea. To guilty Britons the company is redolent of imperial exploitation, but to Mehta it is more of a brand "known all over the world, the Google of its age. The intimate connection with the British, however, came at a price.
The Gujaratis were identified as little more than colonial satraps by indigenous Burmans, Ugandans and others. So once the British left, they were often targeted by the first post-independence politicians, asserting their nationalist credentials.
In Burma now Myanmar , the military regime that took over in nationalized all foreign businesses, forcing hundreds of thousands of Indians out of the country. In Uganda, in , the deranged dictator Idi Amin abruptly gave the country's 60, South Asians, mostly Gujaratis, 90 days to leave. The consequence, as elsewhere, was precipitous economic collapse. In a new Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, came to Britain to ask the exiles to return and rebuild the country.
The generals who governed Myanmar never did so, to their country's enduring cost. Uganda's loss was Britain's gain. Stripped of most of their money and possessions by Amin, about 27, Indian refugees, mostly Gujaratis, arrived in Britain and set about building their fortunes a second time. Will Gujaratis around the globe continue to enjoy the same success in the future? The state their forebears came from has seen an uptick in sectarian violence between Hindus and Muslims in recent years, particularly in , and this has, to an extent, damaged the religious and ethnic tolerance on which so much of their commercial ethos was built.
Some fear, too, that their utilitarian approach to learning might become a disadvantage; it is Bangalore and Hyderabad that have pulled ahead in India's latest high-tech businesses. But, as the Gujaratis like to point out, they do the business, not the tech. As there have been gaps in the market during the past millennium, so there will be gaps during the next millennium — and Gujaratis will be there to exploit them. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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Deer harvest lags on Minnesota's opening weekend. Guthrie Theater goes big as it returns with an all-new 'Christmas Carol' this weekend. Business Why Gujaratis may be the most successful people in business in the world People from the Gujarat state of India have had the savvy and drive to find unheralded success. By The Economist.
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental For many Gujaratis the point of acquiring knowledge is to attain practical goals, particularly business goals.
Retail empire "Ethical business practices based on fair trade and honest dealings gave Gujarati traders a reputation of being trustworthy," write Achyut Yagnik and Suchitra Sheth, two historians of the region. More from Star Tribune. They have migrated to the remotest corners of the world and opened up any small business.
They have the courage to defy all sorts of threats and distractions and keep themselves focused on their business. Gujaratis know how to make most of an opportunity. If a job or a project is deemed to fetch them monetary returns they will be happy to do it. No matter what they do they do it with pride and with full enthusiasm for the work. Something everyone should learn from them.
Gujaratis have always stayed with the trend. Every generation has evolved its business as per their time. Whether it is catching up with the latest textile trends or upgrade their business with the latest technological advancements. That is how they have been able to sustain their business and pass it down from one generation to another.
Especially if they are in abroad they will always rely on each other for help. But they are believed to control a large share of all businesses. Hemanshu Surti, 30, an Indian-origin Tanzanian citizen and owner of a beach resort which his family purchased 16 years ago in Dar es Salaam, has kept Indian culture intact. Surti is the youngest of five brothers — three of them also own and operate hotels in Mwanza and Arusha in the northern part of the country.
Although born in Tanzania, Surti can speak and wrote fluent Gujarati. Kartikeya Nivara, a businessman based in Dar es Salaam, said Gujaratis succeed in business because they are known for taking risks. According to Simeon Mesaki, a retired professor of anthropology at the University of Dar es Salaam, Indian traders flocked to Tanzania when the economy was liberalized in the s.
Africa Enterprising skills make Indian-origin Tanzanians business leaders Although just 0.
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