Meet man, once sold milk, books, now runs Rs 10,800 crore empire, he is richest Indian in ..., net worth is Rs...

From rags to riches, stories of successful people have always been an inspiration for those who aspire to lift their lives from nothing to have almost every luxury in life. The story of Rizwan Sajan, the richest Indian in the UAE, is quite an experience to learn from as he grew up from being nothing but a milk seller to now one of the top names in the UAE. Rizwan experienced biggest struggles, seen most difficult times but worked hard and with determination overcame all impossibles to build a Rs 10,800 crore empire. This is the story of grit, determination and what it takes to be successful.  

Sajan’s early years 

Sajan was born and raised in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar in a lower middle-class family. He faced a crisis after losing his father, who was a supervisor at Nathani Steel Private Limited, with a monthly salary of Rs 7,000, at 16 and worked odd jobs like selling milk, books, and firecrackers to support his family including his three siblings. He struggled hard to manage his studies along with supporting his family. In an interview to Gulf news, he revealed his own hard work and uncle’s support opened an opportunity for him to work in Kuwait in 1981, where he started working as a sales trainee with Rs 18,000 monthly salary.  

How Rizwan turned his life 

After 8 years of working hard, Rizwan became a sales manager there but the Gulf War of 1990 ruined his efforts forcing him to return India empty handed. But soon he found another opportunity in a Dubai brokerage dealing in construction materials. This became a major learning ground for him to gain useful market insights. With such experience, he founded the Danube Group in 1993. He started his business with just few thousand Dirhams but eventually grew it into one of the largest building materials companies in the UAE. The Danube Group became a crucial supplier to the UAE’s construction industry.  

As of today, Danube’s revenue is more than USD 1.3 billion (approx Rs 10,800 crore), with projects across industries including real estate, home decor, kitchen solutions, and infrastructure, and even Dubai’s luxurious towers and major other building projects all over the Middle East. Rizwan Sajan’s net worth is Rs 18,000 crore.