The Brazilian busmaker Marcopolo was in the spotlight last month at a South-South Conference in Mumbai organised by the International Finance Corporation and the Financial Times. The company, which makes half the buses sold in Brazil, has been expanding overseas since 1991, opening factories in Portugal, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and South Africa.

As well as brand strength, its success was attributed to the adaptability and agility of its people and processes – characteristics typical of the best Brazilian enterprises.