Mumbai: Dr Dhananjay Datar was born into a middle-class family in Maharashtra. His father, Mahadev, served as a sergeant in the Indian Air Force. Due to the dynamic nature of his job, his father frequently travelled to various places. Dhananjay was primarily raised at his grandmother’s house in Amravati. He was an average student and completed his schooling with decent grades. 

During his college years, he made the decision to support his family financially. He worked as a salesman to earn a living. He would go door-to-door selling products like phenyl and ice cream in areas like Mulund, Thane, and Kalyan. When his father retired from his job, the family settled in Mumbai. 

Joining father’s business

Post retirement, Dhananjay’s father decided to move to Dubai to look for work opportunities. Initially, he worked as a manager at a store. After gaining some experience, he decided to venture into the grocery business. He recognized that Indian products such as flour, chutney, and pickles were not readily available in Gulf countries. He seized the opportunity and established his business catering to these needs. As the business flourished, he urged Dhananjay to come to Dubai. This moment marked Dhananjay’s entry into the realm of business. 

Expanding the business

Dr Dhananjay Datar moved to Dubai to support his father’s business. At the time, he only had savings of 30 dirhams. Through sheer hard work and determination, he, along with his father, transformed the small shop into a thriving business empire. 

Today, he owns 34 supermarkets across Gulf countries and two spice manufacturing factories. He also earned the title of ‘Masala King.’ In 2018, he ranked 29th in Forbes Middle East’s ‘Top 100 Indian Business Leaders.’ Additionally, he also received the Udyog Ratna Award in 2011. 

Achieving success

Every business endeavour poses significant challenges in the beginning. However, Dr Dhananjay persevered through all the challenges and expanded from nine retail stores to supermarkets. Presently, the supermarkets are located in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. 

The company sells Indian products like spices, pulses, rice, flour, oil, and ghee in the UAE. Remarkably, Dhananjay expanded his business during the time of recession. With a resilient vision and approach, he successfully gained tremendous success.