Grocery store magnate Dr Dhananjay Datar came to the UAE aged 19 to work alongside his father Mahadev Datar in a venture that eventually led to the formation of the import-export firm Al Adil Group, which specialises in spices sourced from his Mumbai-based firm Masala King Exports.
With 34 branches in the GCC and India, the group has earned Datar his title “King of Spice”. The group also trades in food items such as nuts and instant food and has expanded into cosmetics with a range of organic products.
But it was not all glitz and glamour. Datar says he remembers living in extremely poor conditions and does not recall ever having breakfast while growing up. Though he used to walk barefoot to school, he now drives a custom-made Rolls-Royce.
Datar’s wife, Vandana Dhananjay, works alongside her husband as the company’s finance director. Datar has boasted that since his wife joined the firm, revenues have soared by 40 percent.
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