From Dh30 in his pocket to successful Dubai entrepreneur

It was chocolate, cheese and Dh30 in a pocket that turned Dubai dream into a reality for Dr Dhananjay Datar, chairman and managing director, Al Adil Trading. Datar landed in Dubai on February 26,1984, when he was 19 years old, by the Air India flight Ganga.

"It was a warm and shiny day. I arrived at the Mumbai International Airport late morning eagerly. I was thrilled as it was my first air travel. My mother and younger brother Sanjay accompanied me to the airport to bid me farewell. A pleasant surprise was awaiting me there.

"That day, in the passenger list, a little boy and I were the only young adults travelling alone. A kind-hearted lady on the ticketing counter affectionately upgraded our economy class to business class. As a result, we got special treatment in the flight. I had never tasted such variety of chocolates and cheese before. Those three hours were really delightful," said Datar.

"I had been dreaming of this moment for the past five years, but the reason behind it was not any kind of motivation. Rather, juvenile thoughts and an attraction for wealth had been gripping me from quite some years before.

"We were living in Kalina, Mumbai, our life style was quite frugal. In those days, I used to observe many Muslim and Christian people going to Dubai for a job and returning with foreign-made gadgets, expensive clothes and gold as well. This impressed me so much, that I imagined Dubai as a haven for fast money."

Datar in fact was planning to go to Dubai for a job, following the footsteps of his father. But then the situation turned unexpectedly, when his father left his job and started a grocery shop in Dubai.

Initially, he was reluctant to invite his son to join him in his business, as Datar had just passed his graduation and was expected to complete a post graduation and pick up some professional job experience. Since Datar was needed to help father in the shop, he was allowed, albeit unwillingly - to leave for Dubai.

"I had only 3 notes of Dh10 in my pocket when my plane landed at Dubai International Airport. I made a phone call to my father and informed him of my arrival. He asked me to wait outside the airport, for a vehicle he was about to send. Soon the vehicle arrived and I bursted into laughter. It was a goods carrier.

"Another pang of disappointment hit me when I had my first glance of the shop. It was a tiny shop with a warehouse behind. I got only a little corner for my baggage and bedding. That was my first day in Dubai - started with thrilled anticipation and ended in crushing disappointment."

Datar opines that there are similarities and some conspicuous differences between Mumbai and Dubai. Both are international business hubs, situated by the bay. The wide roads, sky rise buildings and multi-cultured crowds can be observed in both cities.

Even the humid, sweaty and sultry weather is the same, but the vicinity of a desert brings extremity to Dubai's weather.

"In summer, Dubai's afternoons are full of scorching heat and hot wind, while the nights are freezing and extremely chilly. Back then within a week, I was fed up with such sharp temperature swings. Another reason for my total lack of interest was the language barrier. In Dubai, the local language is Arabic and international language is English. I was weak in both. I could hardly communicate in Hindi. The feeling of homesickness made me even more anxious."

Datar says he would plead with his father to teach him shop management skills, but little did he know that the father himself was novice in business. Datar was simply advised to acquire them, by working in any super market.

"My father had developed good contacts in Dubai's business circle. Within a month, I got a job, as an intern in one of Dubai's largest super markets. That job lasted for four months."

Datar's father - sole proprietor of his shop - had invested his entire savings and used to pay Datar for work and there was little scope to start any new business venture. Having worked for 10 years under his father's tutelage, Datar had acquired the required skills and started another shop with the help of a bank loan and that was his first business venture.

"Back in the 1980s, Dubai was in a developmental stage. There was a huge potential for establishing large, medium and small new businesses.

"My father also grabbed this opportunity and set up a small shop there. Today, Dubai is an international business hub. The infrastructure development is complete. But the opportunities are still open.

"The business-friendly policies of this country, the continuous support of the rulers to the industry world, multicultured clientele and strategic location of this country are the benefit factors for entrepreneurs."

This country helped me prove myself

Datar says the UAE gave him a chance to prove his calibre. He said: "The UAE rewarded my hard work, honesty and integrity with a great fortune. From a small shop, we progressed and evolved as a multi-national business group and a chain of super stores. I was honoured with various international awards here. The UAE has given me complete contentment."

Datar believes in life, honesty, hard work and skill never go in vain. This is not only mere advice, but a value inculcated in him by his parents. ?"Ice on the head and sugar on the tongue....is the most useful rule when dealing with challenges and customers. Follow the proverb - honesty is the best policy," he added.

sandhya@khaleejtimes.com

Dr Dhananjay Datar during his early days as a young entrepreuner.