Few concepts have gained more currency among business people and politicians in recent years than the idea of the Brics - the giant, emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, whose weight and influence is supposedly changing economic and political realities. Grouping the four, however, obscures a simple fact: while the rise of China and India represents a real shift in the power balance, Russia and Brazil are marginal economies propped up by high commodity prices. This difference has profound implications.

The fundamental difference between China and India on one hand and Russia and Brazil on the other is that the former are competing with the west for "intellectual capital" by seeking to build top-notch universities, investing in high, value-added and technologically intensive industries and utilising successful diasporas to generate entrepreneurial activity in the mother country. Chinese officials, for example, are committed to developing 100 world-class universities, with a focus on science and engineering; India boasts one of the most dynamic information technology sectors outside the US. Both countries have seen the creation of a large number of small and medium-sized businesses that compete successfully (and sometimes dominate) in global markets. China is in the process of developing a world-class infrastructure that strengthens its competitive position; India's government has promised to do the same. Both face challenges but they are taking the steps necessary to generate sustainable economic growth.