The City of London needs to do more to develop business relations with China and India, or else risk losing out to rival financial hubs, a report warns.
Despite London's global reputation, the study said Indian firms were building closer links with the US and Dubai.
It found that Chinese businesses were also looking to the US, in addition to Hong Kong and Singapore.
The report by risk analysts Sami Consulting and Oxford Analytica said London was not meeting its potential.
Commissioned by the City of London itself, it pointed to the UK's close historical ties with India and significant Chinese communities.
Fast-growing economies
With China and India's economies continuing to enjoy stellar growth, the report points out the opportunities in India for project financing, and demand in China for savings and pensions products for the country's ageing population.
"City companies will need to seek out and develop long-term relationships with people at all relevant levels within the Indian and Chinese financial and business communities," it said.
In India, the report recommends that UK firms widen their investment scope and not simply "focus narrowly on the traditional financial centres of Mumbai and Bangalore".
About 1.8% of the UK's 60 million people are of Indian origin, while 0.4% are Chinese, according to the 2001 census.
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