Gujaratis from western India, with their enhanced numerical skills, mental agility and speedy solutions to arithmetic problems and cognitive abilities, performed mentally without the use of calculators or paper, with their focus on the bottom line profit. Gujaratis in the diamond district of New York, Manhattans 47^th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenue, follow the Jews in diamonds businesses as finished diamonds come here from all over the world where million-dollar deals are sealed to serve the elite. All diamonds of 47^th Street are new ones, very few come from pawns or estate sales, as they arrive in New York by multiple streams, like diamond giant DeBeers mines stones in Africa and then sells them through rough or uncut in London, resold in Antwerp and send to Mumbai and Gujarat for polishing and cutting, before arriving at 47^th Street. Gujarati’s were responsible for making Mumbai the unquestioned capital of today’s diamond world. 

In 1970 Gujaratis controlled Retail shops to Banking system under British colonial policies, resulting in native Ugandan hating the business minded community from India. In August 1972, the president of Uganda, World’s biggest dictator Idi Amin ordered expulsion of over 80, 000 Gujaratis giving them 90 days to leave the Uganda resulting in many of them who were Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies, emigrated to United Kingdom (27,000), Canada (6000) and 4500 refugees ended up in India and 2, 500 went to Kenya or to Pakistan, USA (1000). Departing Asian were limited to $120 and 485lb (220kg) of property. Their 5,655 firms, ranches, farms, and agricultural estates were confiscated along with cars, homes and other household goods. The presence of Indians in Uganda was the result of deliberate choices by the British administration that ruled Uganda from 1984 to 1962, serving as buffer between Europeans and African in the middle rungs of commerce and administration. The British in 1890s also brought 32,000 British Indians as labourers to work on the construction of the Uganda Railway. The British had invested in the Education of the Asian minority in preference to that of indigenous Ugandans by 1970s employing them in the sartorial and banking businesses. Their exodus triggering 5 per cent Ugandan GDP downfall, salaries drop of 90 per cent and inflation rising to over 200 per cent bankrupting Uganda.  Most of the Indians decided to remain in the African great lakes after the line’s completion. The expulsion took place against the backdrop of anti-Indian sentiment and black supremacy in Uganda with Idi Amin accusing a minority of the Indians of disloyalty, non-integration and commercial malpractice, claims that Indian leaders disputed. Amin defended the expulsion by arguing that he was “giving Uganda back to ethnic Ugandans”. Many world leaders condemned the expulsion and several nations, the United Kingdom and India cut diplomatic ties.

Some of those expelled were Nizari Ismaili Muslims.

 By 1979 Idi Amin had to abscond from the country. Following the accession of Yoweri Museveni to the presidency, some Gujaratis returned to Uganda rising 65 per cent economy of Uganda.

Gujaratis are only 5 per cent of India’s population and more than 50 per cent of them around 300 are billionaires. They are more open to taking risks and managing them skilfully, by going after heavily cash flowing lower risk ventures like motels, convenience stores, franchises, gas stations and also running them well and reinvesting profits for higher growth.

Other Gujaratis on the Frobes India rich list include Pankaj Patel ranked 23^rd with net worth of USD 4.5billion, Karsanbhai Patel USD2.24 billion, Rajesh Mehta USD 1.88billion, Nirav Modi USD 1.7billion. The richest person in Gujarat is Gautam Adani (USD3.1billion), who started his career as a diamond sorter in Mumbai, now owns one of the biggest business groups in India. His companies operate major ports, power plants, airports and renewable energy projects.