Britain8217;s Big B

Just walking distance from Harrods, in London's stylish Knightsbridge area, is the office of Ramola Bachchan. As she walks into the office ...

Just walking distance from Harrods, in London8217;s stylish Knightsbridge area, is the office of Ramola Bachchan. As she walks into the office in a cream skirt suit with matching shoes and handbag, the first thing you notice about this business woman is her air of confidence. Unlike many other Asian women she has had no problems adapting to life in a foreign country. As she says, quot;I never see myself as an outsider.quot;

And to prove her point, Ramola is bringing India to UK with style, elan and complete confidence. Revolving around the 50 year celebrations of Indian Independence, Ramola is organising The Festival of India8217;, on a mammoth scale. To take place in Uxbridge not far from London from August 22 to 25, the event is the brain-child of Safdar Hussain, a man known for bringing Bollywood stars to London for concerts. For the 50th anniversary celebrations Hussain wanted to do something special. And Ramola has helped him make sure it will be an affair to remember. India8217;s most famous monuments will be recreated to the last minute detail and will include Mumbai8217;s Marine Drive and the Gateway of India. Against this backdrop will be cultural and educational programmes, fun fairs, shopping, food from all over India and some Bollywood stars to add glamour to the event. Sunil Shetty and Shilpa Shetty are among those expected. Says Hussain, quot;RB Promotions was chosen as I have known Ramola and her work. And she has gone all out to help.quot;

But then, this Calcutta-born Sindhi had an advantage right from the start. Most of her schooling was done in England at a boarding school and even though Ramola was one of two Asian girls in the whole school, she never experienced alienation. quot;I was young enough to adapt and I do not have a chip on my shoulder about being Asian,quot; she says.

And it is this confidence that aided Ramola in setting up her public relations company, RB Promotions. A qualified lawyer, she returned to further education after having children but not to the world of legalese. quot;I did not see myself sitting in an office. I am motivated by people,quot; she says. And what better choice for a people-person than the world of media. She started with her own chat show on an Asian cable channel and even wrote for The Asian Age.

From here, in an obvious progression, she went to event management. quot;PR was a natural choice it suited my personality,quot; she says. Now her company promotes a variety of events and products such as beer, curry paste and fashion. For most Asians, RB Promotions has become the obvious choice for PR and marketing. And Ramola says this is her USP. For many Indian companies entering the British market, this is their first port of call, she says. The Indian High Commission also used her services for their Independence Day celebrations at the Hilton Hotel. Over 3,000 people attended this glitzy event. Ramola believes that there is more enthusiasm for Independence Day outside India than inside. quot;Living away, we are more sentimental,quot; she says. But doing business in the West is not easy. Ramola admits that she had to learn the hard way. quot;I made the classic mistake of flying before I could walk,quot; she says. Friends in high places is one thing but business is a different ball game.