Anis Sajan's rise from a Mumbai chawl to the top ranks of the UAE's corporate world began with a small roadside stall. Long before he became Vice Chairman of the multi-billion-dollar Danube Group, Sajan was a schoolboy selling greeting cards and Diwali decorations outside his home to earn money for his family.
Sajan grew up in Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar, after losing his father at a young age. His mother was also battling epilepsy, while his elder siblings took on much of the responsibility of running the household. He started looking for ways to earn money while still in school.
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In an interview with Gulf News, Sajan recalled spending his evenings between 5 pm and 9 pm selling greeting cards and decorative lights from a table outside his building. To keep the stall lit, he struck a deal with a resident on the first floor, offering 10% of his daily sales in exchange for access to electricity.
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A run-in with local authorities nearly brought the venture to an end, but his account of the family's financial difficulties persuaded a police officer to spare his stock. Sajan subsequently presented the officer with a box of lights as a thank-you.
Sajan's small festive-season venture soon gave way to a more regular trading operation. He approached a local factory for supplies of switches, electrical sockets and tube lights, then went from one neighbourhood to another to find buyers.
A bicycle became his primary means of transport, allowing him to reach local traders, secure orders and gain first-hand experience of the marketplace.
In 1990, at just 19, Sajan left Mumbai for Kuwait to live with his elder brother Rizwan. His plans for a new beginning were soon derailed by the Gulf War. Amid the uncertainty, he spent a short period selling automotive oil before the family was brought back to India. Their evacuation was carried out on an Indian Air Force flight in October that year.
His next professional chapter began at Eureka Forbes, where Sajan worked on the company's water purifier sales team.
Sajan moved to Dubai in November 1992 and ventured into the sanitaryware trade, selling products such as toilet jet sprays. By 1993, his brother Rizwan had established Danube Group as a small-scale trading enterprise, marking the beginning of the family's larger business journey.
What began as a small venture run by two people has grown into a sizeable international business over the years. Sajan has often spoken about the company's remarkable expansion from its modest beginnings to its present scale.
Danube Group now employs around 5,000 people, with Sajan serving as its Vice Chairman. He is also the founder of Milano and is based in Dubai's upscale Emirates Hills neighbourhood. His journey, from selling festive lights outside his Mumbai home to becoming a key figure in a global business, reflects decades of enterprise, determination and calculated risk-taking.
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