Last night Tony Blair praised the UK's Asian business community for being enterprising, hard-working and ambitious. Business Editor Paul Parker found out what makes some of Bradford's leading Asian entrepreneurs tick.

When Asian families came to Bradford in the 1960s and 70s they found work in the city's textile mills and on the buses.

They were among the lowest-paid workers in the district - but thought they had a better deal than their families at home.

Now their children are changing all that and are close to becoming millionaires.

And last night hundreds of people like them were at the Caf Royale in London where Prime Minister Tony Blair, with his wife Cherie dressed in a sari, sang their praises. Most of the top 200 Asian millionaires at the dinner were from a list compiled by Asian newspaper Eastern Eye.

And their success is echoed in Bradford where scores of businesses have gone from strength to strength. Dr Gul Nawaz Khan Akbar's family founded the Mumtaz Paan House in 1980 and has not looked back since.

Dr Akbar is reluctant to discuss his wealth but he heads a multi-million pound business which has blossomed over the last 18 years.

The restaurant, in Great Horton Road, is being extended and a food manufacturing business has been developed selling food to supermarket chains and top people's store, Harrods.

The firm, which now employs 150 people, is looking to build Europe's largest Indian restaurant and is poised to provide cuisine at major sporting events in a million pound deal. The food business is now the third largest in the UK with a multi-million pound turnover.

And it all began after the family returned from a restaurant meal dissatisfied with the quality of the food which was prepared for the UK palate.

"We decided to open a restaurant using my mother's recipes from Kashmir for the Asian palate and have 60 per cent Asian and 40 per cent European customers at the restaurant," he added.

Billy Dulay is proud that his Asian roots have not got in the way of his developing a thriving advertising and design company with partner Andy Seymour. Dulay Seymour, based in Walmer Villas, Bradford, has grown since it was formed in June 1993. He said: "I never look at myself as an Asian trying to do business but as a businessman building a business.

"If I can demonstrate that our company is best-suited to the clients' needs then that is uplifting. If I come away without results then I never look for excuses - especially those based on my colour."

Tony Bhogal, 33, managing director of Autoelectro in Leeds Road, Bradford, was brought to Bradford from Kenya by his family in 1966 when he was two. His father Santokh Singh Bhogal, who died in October 1996, started a motor and alternator repair business in the garage of his West Bowling home in October 1986.

The business grew and today Tony and his brothers Nicky, 28, and Paul, 24, oversee a firm which employs 35 people, has a Lucas agency and a branch in Leeds with a turnover of more than £1 million.

He said: "It doesn't make any difference whether you're Asian or not. We aim to just be as successful as we can."

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