From young boy who used to sell phenyl door-to-door to UAE's spice king: Meet Adil Group's Dr Dhananjay Datar

Dhananjay Datar’s story is that of perseverance triumphing over all odds. He inherited a fledgling grocery business from his father and literally gave it wings. Today, the Adil group encompasses a chain of 50 spacious superstores spread across the Gulf Countries, 2 spice factories, 2 flour mills equipped with modern technology, and an import-export company. 

It has acquired a cult status among Indian expatriates with over 9000 varieties of authentic Indian foods, including spices and pickles, and what-have-you, available at their superstores.

Humble beginnings 

Born in a middle-class Maharashtrian family from Vidarbha. the realities of life taught him values of self-reliance, frugality, and hard work, instilling in him an indomitable spirit to fight against all odds to emerge victorious. 

Dhananjay came to Dubai as a 20-year-old in 1984 to join his father in setting up a small shop in Bur Dubai to sell Indian spices. Late Mahadeo Datar had come to Dubai in 1975 after serving a stint in Air India, spending the next decade working as a grocer in Jebel Ali.  

Overcoming the initial challenges, the Datars soon won the trust of the Indian expatriate community. The secret of their success - they had their fingers on the pulse of the customers, giving them the right products at the right time and becoming a household name among Indians and other nationalities in the UAE. “My mantra has always been - Determination-Honesty-Customer Service-Courtesy”, says Dhananjay and this commitment turned a small shopkeeper into a billionaire in Dubai.  

From a family-run business to a specialist supermarket chain - the group expanded its footprint across the GCC universe. The company set up a manufacturing unit in the Al Quoz industrial area of Dubai where it produces Indian food items under the Peacock brand. It also has an Indian arm, Masala King Exports in Mumbai (India), which is one of the leading exporters of quality Indian grocery and non-food Items, in the Indian sub-continent. 

Entrepreneurial Pursuits & Accolades

Adil Group under the leadership of Dhananjay has introduced more than 9000 Indian products to UAE. For the last four decades, he has been serving the Indian community in the Gulf region with authentic, hygienic, and safe Indian foodstuff. It is for this invaluable contribution that the rulers of UAE felicitated Dhananjay with a prestigious award and the title of Masala King in 2001.

“My wife Vandana and sons Hrishikesh and Rohit have been the pillars of strength in the group’s growth. Vandana has implemented financial discipline and management in the group, whereas Hrishikesh and Rohit have added the latest technologies like Artificial intelligence, E-Commerce, Online Marketing, etc.”, says Dhananjay proudly.

Adil Group is in active expansion mode and increasing its outlets in other Gulf countries. It has established special trade routes in the USA, Canada, Kenya, Switzerland, Italy, Eritrea, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.

Dhananjay has received several international and national awards for excellence and quality. He was ranked 25th richest by Forbes Middle East and 8th by Arabian Business in the Arab world. He has been conferred with business awards in countries like UAE, USA, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. India has honored him with the GMBF Business Excellence Award, Rashtriya Udyog Ratna Award, Quality Brand Award, Bharat Vikas Ratan Award, and Best Indian Retailer Award to name some.

Apart from business, Dhananjay has helped several young entrepreneurs from India in exporting their quality products to Gulf markets. He has also been acclaimed for his philanthropic work. He has donated generously to orphanages, schools for underprivileged children, and social welfare projects. He was honoured with a special award for his contribution to social entrepreneurship by Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Prathishthan, Mumbai.

If there ever was a rags-to-riches story, it is Dr. Dhananjay Datar’s. He was so poor he couldn't afford a bicycle and dreamed of nothing more than a square meal. Today he is driven around in a bespoke Rolls-Royce!