Asian entrepreneurs, including women, have been quietly generating a wealth of businesses in the UK. By Dr Spinder Dhaliwal*, lecturer in entrepreneurship, School of Management, University of Surrey.

We have lauded and praised the UK's Asian business sector for many years. Asian wealth has grown, prosperity has spread and we can focus more on the sectors where this has been delivered.

The past few years has seen a shift in activities away from traditional manufacturing companies towards newer, higher-tech, higher value companies in industries like pharmaceuticals.

Whilst the increase in wealth creation from the manufacturing sector has been relatively small, between them, the pharmaceutical, fashion and new economy sectors have seen wealth creation increase. For instance in the broad Asian 'rag' trade sector (comprising fashion and textiles) there is a major shift from basic, low-value activities such as sub-contracting towards more specialised high value fashion houses.

Sluggish economic growth, stock market uncertainty and question marks about the housing market provide the starkest of economic backdrops to this compendium of Asian success. Money may not buy happiness but Asian wealth creation can upgrade any economic despair so beautifully.

So who are these Asian wealth creators, these entrepreneurs whose businesses are bucking the economic trend?

Mike Jatania and his three brothers, George, Vin and Danny, are an excellent example of family unity. Their company Lornamead, which markets cosmetic, homecare and health products, has gone from strength to strength as they continue to add new brands to their portfolio which already consists of household brands such as Stergene fabric softener, Lipsil, and Body Mist. The brothers, who came to Britain from Uganda have built an impressive business by buying unwanted brands from the multinationals and re-launching them with a marketing push in new areas.

The contribution of the British Asian community to the resurgence of British fashion is exemplified by Tom Singh. In 1969 in Weymouth, with just £5,000 of borrowed capital, Tom set up his first fashion retail operation that was to become the well-known high street fashion chain, New Look. Tom Singh has managed to combine his entrepreneurial flair for creating a winning business with a winning business based on fashion, a true combination of style and substance.

Jasminder Singh is chairman and chief executive of one of the most successful hotel chains in the UK, The Edwardian Radisson Group Ltd. He was born in Tanzania and was educated in East Africa. He came to England in 1968 and entered the hotel business in 1979, forming The Edwardian Group in the same year. The Group has grown rapidly to become one of the largest privately owned hotel chains in the UK.

The Asian woman entrepreneur
These rags to riches stories may be okay for Asian men but the story is different for women. Scant attention has been paid to the contribution of Asian women to both entrepreneurship and the management of family businesses. This less conspicuous role can be explained by modesty, societies attitudes towards women and the double barriers of both sex and race discrimination.

Traditionally, there has been some slight focus on the secondary role of women in business but now we are seeing a new breed of Asian female entrepreneur. The emergence of these more successful women illustrates the potential achievable despite cultural, social and economic barriers. More and more now we are seeing and hearing about women who have made the grade and are pushing forward with new ideas. However, there is still a paucity of women identified on the rich list. This masks the true involvement of female entrepreneurship in the upper echelons of the Asian community.

Rita Sharma epitomises the successful Asian female entrepreneur with her dazzling success with travel firm Worldwide Journeys. Like many budding entrepreneurs Rita started her own business to escape a job that bored her and now is one of the richest women in London. Her hunger for success and desire for challenge led her to using the skills acquired from working in a travel agency to set up her own holiday firm from a tiny Oxford Street office. Her accountant husband, Rahul, quit his job to join her and the business now employs over 100 staff.

The Ilford-bred daughter of first generation immigrants watched her parents struggle to provide a better future for her. Like most parents, they did not support their daughter going into business preferring her to have a steady job instead. This was a blessing in disguise as it forced her to stay in an industry with low start-up costs.

Perween Warsi of S&A Foods is married with two sons and runs the hugely successful Indian food manufacturing company in the north of England. She was frustrated at not being able to buy authentic Indian food in the shops. She decided to make it and sell it herself, "I began by selling through an Indian takeaway, and then I went to the larger supermarkets and persuaded them to try my food."

So, far from being passive players Asian women are heavily involved in entrepreneurship and are set to continue this trend.

Money is better than poverty, but not only for financial reasons. Asian wealth represents solid foundations, good business practice, commitment to community, openness to change and a massive contribution to society. Not forgetting of course the values of family, thrift and hard work and a commitment back to the community.