Diwali 2026: From selling Diwali lights in a Mumbai chawl to becoming a Dubai business tycoon. Danube's Anis Sajan once sold an Aquaguard to Sanjay Dutt

Long before he became a Dubai-based business tycoon, Anis Sajan was a schoolboy selling Diwali lights from a makeshift stall below his home in Mumbai. Growing up in a chawl in Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar, he witnessed his family struggle after losing his father at a young age. It began as a small effort to support the household by bringing extra income. Eventually, it turned into a journey through street-side trading, sales jobs and business ventures across countries. Today, he is the Vice Chairman of Danube Group.

From a Mumbai chawl to a Diwali lights stall

Anis lost his father when he was very young. His elder brother, Rizwan, and sister, Shabnam, took on family responsibilities, while their mother battled epilepsy. The family found ways to earn additional income, and business ideas began taking shape at home.

In an interview with Gulf News, Anis recalled how Rizwan, who had started working at the company where their father was employed, began selling novelty items from a table, or makeshift street-side stall. His products ranged from pocket combs and mirrors to plastic balls and bats. A couple of years later, Anis started his own small venture. After school, between 5 pm and 9 pm, he would set up a table below their building and sell greeting cards and Diwali serial lights.


Getting electricity for the lights was a challenge since the family lived on the third floor. He struck a deal with a neighbour on the first floor, promising him 10 per cent of his earnings in exchange for power.

Each string of lights which he sources, cost him Rs 30. He soon sold half his stock to residents of the building. When a policeman threatened to confiscate his lights, Anis explained his family's circumstances and requested permission to continue selling. He later gave the policeman a box of lights as a gesture of gratitude.

From selling electrical goods to Dubai

After the Diwali season, Anis expanded his small business by sourcing electrical switches, sockets and tube lights from a nearby factory. He bought a bicycle for Rs 100 and began visiting traders to take orders.

At 19, he moved to Kuwait in 1990 to join Rizwan. However, the brothers soon found themselves caught in the Gulf War. They briefly sold car oil before Rizwan and his family were evacuated to Mumbai on an Indian Air Force plane in October 1990.

Back in Mumbai, Anis joined a multinational company, Eureka Forbes, selling water purifiers. During this stint, he even sold an Aquaguard to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt. In November 1992, he moved to Dubai, where he started by selling sanitaryware, which included toilet jet sprays.

Building a business in Dubai

Danube Group was founded by Rizwan Sajan in 1993 as a small trading firm and has since grown into a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate. Anis now serves as its Vice Chairman and is the founder of Milano.

In an interview with The National, he reflected on the company's growth, saying, “We went from being a business comprising two people to a 5,000-member workforce today.” It further reported that Anis now lives in Emirates Hills with his wife and two children.