Nattukotai Chettiars were the most prominent business community from Tamil region and this book captures their spirit of enterprise that led many of them to seek their fortunes overseas. It's a story that connects South India, Burma, and South-East Asia across the Bay of Bengal and equally one that spans the British imperial era and that of the modern nation state. For students of history, business, and for modern entrepreneurs, the book has valuable lessons on the importance of diversifying into promising investment opportunities and gauging the economic winds of change.