What do the BRIC nations think of us? Karan Chanana, India

Much has been written about the 'BRIC' nations and their attitudes to

business, but what do they think about Britain? Sophie Dening finds out

if we're India's cup of tea.

The so-called BRIC nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China account for

a quarter of the world's land mass and their economies are growing

rapidly. Much has been written about their cultures and their attitudes to business, but what

do they think about us? We spoke to professionals from all four countries who currently live

and work in London.

Karan Chanana, 41, CEO of an Indian food company

I made my base in London two years ago — I also have a home in Dubai, where my company is

headquartered. I'd already been visiting London for more than 20 years. I like everything about it: the

parks, the black cabs, the low-rise architecture, the language — everything apart from the weather.

Because of our colonial history, London is well known among Indian people — it's a very popular city

and, of course, it's the capital of the English-speaking world. The English language acts as a

common thread, binding the subcontinent together, and providing a level of comfort to Indians who

come to London.

Here in London, there is more to do in your leisure time. The food scene has changed dramatically

since the 1980s. It used to be nothing to talk about — now it is perhaps the gourmet capital of the

world. Even in the outskirts of the city, there is quality and variety — partly owing to the number of

nationalities living here. London offers some of the best Indian food in the world. A new generation of

Indian chefs is transforming the very best of Indian traditional recipes with a modern European

fusion to give an unbeatable experience.

Creativity in London is amazing, too: when it comes to shooting TV commercials or having

packaging designed, there is immense creative talent to exploit. London and its creative industries

set the benchmark. And education, as everyone knows, is a definite strength for the British.

London has become more cosmopolitan, and acceptance of foreigners has improved. There is a

culture of openness, both in public life and in business culture, though more needs to be done,

especially in comparison with the US — not in terms of government, but in terms of getting things

done. There's a lot of creativity in London, but people tend to wait for things to happen: the

go-getter attitude is not encouraged or rewarded. One example of this, in my view, is the hullabaloo

around the third runway at Heathrow Airport. The decision should be a slam-dunk — the benefits to

international business should sideline any spanners in the works. In this respect, the Americans are

far ahead, the difference is stark.

The British people I deal with tend to be very well educated and very considered in their actions.

Britons are very lucky to have some of the best education in the world, which is free for everyone,

but sadly many young people appear to take this for granted and do not achieve their full potential.

In India, we also have some very educated and intelligent people but, unlike in the UK, education is

recognised as a privilege, so our children work hard in school to get the very best grades they

possibly can. Education offers the best route out of poverty.

London is home to one of the world's greatest democracies, and the UK is respected on the world

stage for upholding democratic principles. Since we still have the bureaucracy and political

structures of the colonial system, there are many similarities between the way things are done in

India and how things work in the UK. There has been more evolution here in London in terms of

technology, whereas the workforce in India means high levels of competitiveness. India is borrowing

from the US, too, which is evident in our business culture.

There is a great deal of opportunity and optimism in India, where there's a big population and a big

market — people feel euphoric about going and getting it. You could compare this with a certain

degree of gloom in London... Though I don't want to typecast or generalise: it depends on who

you're dealing with and what the scenario is. Whether you are in London or New Delhi, in order to be

successful you must be able to communicate with everybody while understanding and respecting

cultural differences.

I think what might be improved in British business culture is that entrepreneurs could be allowed to

be unapologetic about just getting on with it. Entrepreneurship is a country's only insurance against

recession, and more could be done to promote and encourage it. In the US, for example, failure is

not looked down on — it is seen as valuable experience.

Of course, we have bigger families in India than you do in the UK, and we tend to live together. And

New Delhi, where I was born, is three times bigger than London, and is a hustling, bustling

metropolis. My son lives there; my daughter is here in the UK. I travel a lot, but coming back to

London is always comforting — because of the language, as I said, but also because of its

cosmopolitan culture. It's a melting pot of people from all nations and from all walks of life.

More BRIC musings from Brazil's Ricardo Akeda, Russia's Anna Frost and China's Elica Meng.