4 SEPTEMBER2022Editor NoteIndian Origin Women in the UK & their Inspirational Success StoriesThe ties between India and the UK date way back in time. However, Indians coming over to UK did not start on a positive note. Back in the 19th century, Indian indentured labor was taken to British colonies in different parts of the world. The East India Company also recruited East Indian men as lascars on voyages in India who would later settle down in Britain. Some Indian men were also brought along to the UK as workers and scholars in the 19th century. But the times have changed and so has the world order in favor of Indians. Present day UK sees the Indian diaspora as one of the largest and most prominent minority communities. According to the 2011 consensus 1.5 million people of Indian origin are part of the UK. Their share in the UK population is about 1.8 percent. Although a minority in the UK, yet Indians are one of the most prosperous minorities across the globe. Indian culture has also had a massive impact on the UK as a whole. After all, UK's national dish is the famous Indian delicacy, `Chicken Tikka Masala'. But Indian diaspora's contribution go much beyond introducing the British culinary world to spices. The Indian diaspora is also an active contributor towards the UK economy and business landscape. According to a Grant Thornton report, `India in the UK: The Diaspora Effect' the Indian diaspora-owned companies employed over 1,74,000 people and generated a combined revenue of 36.84 billion pounds. Indian owned businesses also paid over one billion pounds in Corporation Tax of the companies studied, London was home to 52 percent of the Indian owned companies. The report also found that some of the key verticals where Indian business leaders and entrepreneurs have created wonders are hospitality, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, retail & wholesale, real estate & construction and food & beverage.While the numbers do tell a positive story in the macro perspective, yet it is important to peek into each of these success stories. Every entrepreneur and business leader has a different story to tell. But the only thread connecting each of these stories is persistence, grit and passion. It also should also come as no surprise that British Indian women have played a key role in the success of the community as a whole. The present issue of Women Entrepreneur Magazine brings a few such prolific women to the fore. We also narrate their success stories from their perspective to give our readers an insider's perspective on the great Indian success story in the UK. Rachita SharmaManaging Editor
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