Shilpi Madan
02-Aug-2026
Vice Chairman, Danube Group & Founder, Mr. Cricket UAE Media Group, Anis Sajan’s journey from a door-to-door salesman in Mumbai to the Vice Chairman of the multi-billion dollar empire – the Danube Group - in Dubai is a masterclass in resilience, sharp sales acumen, and strategic foresight.
With the geopolitical situation in the Middle East leaning into realty in Dubai, Anis Sajan spearheads the consolidation and consistent growth of his empire with seasoned ease.
His is an inspirational tale marked by sheer grit, gumption and resilience. From growing up in a chawl in Ghatkopar in Mumbai to selling oil on the roads in Kuwait during the Gulf War to setting up a world-class conglomerate in Dubai, with his brother Rizwan Sajan, Anis Sajan is a force to reckon with.
Starting with a modest salary of AED 1,500, he closed in on the void in the sanitary ware market, by marketing the now-ubiquitous ‘shattaf’ (hand-held bidet spray). His success earned him the moniker “Shattaf Man”, leading to the setting up of Danube’s Milano sanitary division. Today, the sanitary ware business powers 30 percent of the revenue at the Danube Group.
Over the years, Anis has successfully diversified the company into the realm of building materials, home interiors, and real estate. The Group’s expansion includes successful ventures such as Danube Home and Danube Properties, reinforcing its position as a leading brand in the region.
In December 2025, he set up the Mr. Cricket UAE Media Group, a platform dedicated to cricket content, talent development, and the promotion of the sport across the region. An initiative powered by his deep-seated passion for cricket and his vision to elevate the UAE’s presence in the global cricketing ecosystem.
Excerpts from a conversation:
From a simple life in Mumbai to selling oil in Kuwait to emerging as a tycoon in UAE: Describe your journey.
It has been an interesting, challenging and rewarding journey.
Life in Bombay was fun, and special. I like to think of the city as Bombay – it’s an emotion for me. I did my schooling in Ghatkopar, went to college for a year, before following my elder brother to Kuwait, leaving my friends, and days filled with cricket behind. Kuwait was boring, after the fast-paced life I had in Bombay. Then the Gulf War happened, and the roads were filled with tankers, soldiers with guns, sounds of sirens and gunshots. I sold oil on the roads. There was an incident when an Iraqi soldier asked me the price and I replied in Kuwait dinar. He said he’d shoot me the next time if I mentioned Kuwait as the land was declared Iraq. As a teenager, my heart was in my mouth.
Dubai was a completely different and a welcome change, when I landed in 1992. I dipped by hands into selling sanitary products, specialising in bidets. Since then, we have diversified into realty, cricket, and plywood.
Danube is a multi-billion dollar empire today. With the current situation in the Middle East, what is your biggest challenge?
Mumbai makes you street smart. I carry that lesson with me. The present situation is a little challenging but this is the correct time to swim against the tide and consolidate. Every challenge is an opportunity.
People are being a little selective in terms of real estate purchases right now. Yet the agencies are handling the situation in the UAE remarkably well. For us, at Danube, there are two advantages. We deal in construction material, and business continues uninterrupted. There has been a rise in second market sales, with some owners selling their houses at 10-15 per cent lower than the market value. We have utilised the lull to launch additional luxury projects, and have adhered to the prices we set earlier. No change. Stable companies that enjoy the trust of the people are in good stead.
Real estate will not experience growth this year but at Danube our target is to ensure stability and strength. Against a 10 per cent dip ins sales in real estate, the building material sales have jumped 30 per cent for us.
It's just a matter of time. Dubai was the first to bounce back after Covid too.
A pearl of wisdom.
You are as good as your team. Learn to give your team a free hand by trusting them. We have 80 per cent Indians with a fair ratio of men and women. Yet owing to the global nature of our projects, we do have diversity and inclusivity in our multi lingual team with other nationalities represented.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I believe it is easy to live rich, but difficult to die rich.
God has been kind and I lead a good life with my family. But beyond wealth, I want to leave behind a sound value system in my children. Luckily they have inherited this and stand united as a family to give back to society as richly as we have received.
