From Mumbai Slum to Billionaire Rizwan Sajan’s Story

The name Rizwan Askerali Sajan echoes with grit, hustle and ambition. He was born in an impoverished section of Mumbai and is now a billionaire in business in Dubai, a story to be inspired by. He is more famously known as the founder and chairman of the Danube Group, a business empire dealing in building materials, home decor and real estate among others. It is the tale of how Rizwan Sajan transformed his misery to fortune, amassing wealth, brand and respect in the process.

Early Life & Family Background

● Birth & Childhood: Rizwan Sajan was born on 27 December 1963 in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, India. He was brought up in a middle-class family that eventually experienced serious financial problems.

● Father & Loss: His father had a job in a steel factory where he made a small amount of money. At a tender age of 16 years, Rizwan lost his father. This was a breaking point--he quit school and went to work to earn his living.

● Early Work: He went to work at a young age and sold books, firecrackers, and milk to support his siblings and mother. They taught him people and perseverance, which he received in these early experiences.

First Big Moves & Career Journey

● Move to Kuwait: Rizwan went to Kuwait in 1981 to serve in his uncle's building materials store. He was a trainee salesman. He studied trade, business operations and established good working habits.

● Setback (Gulf War): The Gulf War was a disruption to life in Kuwait in the early 1990s. Rizwan was forced to come back to Mumbai, having lost a lot of the things he had established. This was, however, a reset button to him, but he did not accept defeat.

● Founding Danube Group: He established the Danube Group in Dubai in 1993. It started as a small trading company dealing with building materials, but his large vision was expansion and diversification.

Danube Group: Business Empire & Expansion

With time Rizwan Sajan developed the Danube Group to be a big conglomerate. The following are areas of business:

1. Building Materials: This is his main premise- providing a broad selection of materials utilized in building in the UAE and other countries.

2. Home Décor / Retail: He owns such brands as Danube Home and Milano. They serve clients who desire furniture, home decor, home accessories, plumbing, etc.

3. Real Estate: Danube Properties, the real estate division operates residential property, particularly in Dubai. The Bayz 102 / Diamondz etc. project of Danube Properties is one of the known ones.

4. Innovative Payment Plans: One of the innovations was the presence of payment plans, which helped to make owning property more affordable to middle-income earners. As an illustration, low down payments or installments. This assisted Danube in expanding its market.

Net Worth & Business Size

● By 2025, the net worth of Rizwan Sajan is estimated to be USD 2.5 billion (an approximation of ₹20,800+ crore in Indian rupees).

● Danube Group’s revenue: The group's annual turnover was approximately USD 1.3 billion in 2019.

● The group has expanded to many countries in the Gulf, including the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. It owns various branches, real estate projects, and manufacturing/ distribution.

Awards, Achievements & Recognition

● Golden Visa in UAE: Rizwan Sajan was one of the earliest non-Emirati businessmen to obtain a 10-year UAE residence visa in 2019 based on outstanding contribution to the economy.

● Business Awards: He has been honored by different trade organizations and business magazines in the UAE. (E.g., Business Excellence Awards, etc.)

● Philanthropy: He invests in charity- training workers, giving to food programs, welfare programs, etc. One example is the Danube Welfare Society.

Challenges & Mindset

Rizwan’s path was not smooth:

● Young loss of father and lack of financial security.

● Had to work since he was a child; had very little formal education after losing money and struggling.

● Inconvenience caused by the Gulf War, which made him start again.

● Competition, risk in real estate investment, and business risks.

But his mindset was key:

● Persistence: He continued even during hard times.

● Learning: Since his early odd jobs, to sales, he has learnt the ways people buy, how the markets work.

● Innovation: New payment systems to attract more customers.

● Trust & quality: In the case of the business of building materials, reputation is paramount.

Current Status & Future

● Danube properties still roll out residential developments in Dubai, such as mid-income apartments and high-end towers.

●  Indian investors have shown a strong demand for Real estate in Dubai through the offerings of Danube.

●  The team intends to open additional markets, perhaps into additional GCC markets and overseas.

Summary Table

FAQs

1. Who is Rizwan Sajan?
 Rizwan Sajan is an Emirati industrialist, but an Indian by birth. He is the chairman and founder of the Danube Group that is based in Dubai. He owns companies in building materials, home decor, real estate and retail.

2. What is Rizwan Sajan’s net worth?
 By 2025, he is estimated to have a net worth of approximately USD 2.5 billion, or approximately ₹20,800+ crore.

3. How did Rizwan Sajan start his career?
 He was born in Mumbai, and since his childhood he had to do odd jobs, then he went to Kuwait in 1981 to his uncle in the building materials shop and then came back after the Gulf war and at last started his own business in Dubai in 1993. He worked, studied trade and developed his business step-by-step.

4. What businesses does Rizwan Sajan own?
 He is the owner of Danube Group that comprises: Danube Building Materials, Danube Home (home decor), Milano (sanitary solutions), Danube Properties (real estate), Alucopanel (composite panels) and retail business.

5. What is Rizwan Sajan’s success mantra?
 His success is attributed to his perseverance, beginning with humble origins and working hard, mastering sales, risk-taking, innovations (e.g. flexible payment plans), being ethical in the business of building materials, and giving back. He keeps on stressing that failures are a part of the process of development, and one needs to continue studying.

Conclusion

The story of Rizwan Sajan about how he rose out of the slums of Mumbai to become a billion-dollar businessman in Dubai is an effective tale of perseverance, vision and practicality. He was not privileged, yet there were things he dreamed of. He sold books, he took up a job selling milk, he worked in Kuwait, he used every opportunity and made it a lesson.

Danube Group is now a large player in the building materials and real estate and home decor industry. His humility and contributions to give back are equal to his net worth which is huge. Rizwan Sajan, the founder of Mumbai based Plastic Waste Management Company, has a story of how despite being an underdog, one can rewrite his or her fate through hard work, ingenious moves and never giving up.