I have not consulted the Guinness Book of World Records, but India must have one of the longest losing streaks in the history of sports. They started playing cricket against England in 1932 but it was a full 20 years later, in 1952, before India won a game against England . Polly Umrigar and his teammates earned their place in history in 1952 at Madras by beating England for the first time by an innings and 8 runs.

Today, everything has changed. Madras is now known as Chennai and India beats England at cricket with painful frequency. Players like Tendulkar and Gavaskar have become famous for their outstanding exploits. So, for that matter, have Indian businessmen and women. A series of pro-business Indian governments have unleashed India’s competitive business spirit in a wide range of new industries, and now several cities in India have become famous for their business focus–Chennai ( for automotive and health care), Bangalore (information technology), Mumbai (finance and movies) Pune (automotive, IT and education) and Hyderabad (movies and IT).

I have been fortunate to work with many Indian partners over the years and have concluded that hard work and entrepreneurship is in the Indian DNA. They bring a diligent enthusiasm and spicy style to their life and work that is quite distinctive.

The Indian approach to business was on display recently in Detroit at the Midwest annual conference of TiE ( which stands for The Indus Entrepreneurs ). TiE was founded in Silicon Valley in 1992 and now has more than 13,500 members in 12 countries on five continents. Many members are recognized as among the world’s leading entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and bankers.

It would be a mistake to ignore the potential value of TiE or the Indian market for a number of reasons. India has a population of 1.17 billion people for a start, which is approximately one-sixth of the world’s potential customers. Secondly, Indians are rapidly becoming consumers as well as producers of high technology. Thirdly, we share a common language. Finally, Indians have an attitude to life that is reflected in their love of cricket. If you want to see how Indians love to compete, just visit Belle Isle during the summer and you will see how Polly Umrigars countrymen can pursue their passion for winning at cricket.

However, a very high percentage of cricket matches end in a draw, with neither side winning and the honors shared. Although Indians like to win, they bring a sense of fairness to their business dealings which often results in both sides getting something out of the business game.

So to meet some of the best business minds in Southeast Michigan, go to a local TiE meeting or attend the next meeting of our Indian Business Forum at TechTown on December 8 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.