Leading businessman brings spotlight onto the UAE with second globally prestigious achievement in one year

The leadership of India, one of the fastest growing economic power houses in the world, has again acknowledged the achievements of the UAE. The President of India conferred a second award in one year on the founder of the UAE’s leading integrated construction conglomerate, Al Fara’a Group. Dr JR Gangaramani is the fifth UAE resident to achieve the award, which is in recognition of his community investment, business achievements and his pivotal role in improved indo- UAE relations, where the value of non-oil bilateral trade has nearly doubled in the last two years.

UAE businessman, Dr JR Gangaramani, has been bestowed the Padma Shri Award by the President of India, which is one of fastest growing economies in the world and the major trade partner of the UAE. Two-way non-oil related trade between India and the UAE for 2009 was $44.5 billion, which has nearly doubled in the last two years from $29 billion.
The UAE is today the second largest supplier of non oil related imports to India of $20.8 billion compared to the being the fourth largest importer in 2008.

The Padma Shri Award has been bestowed on Dr JR Gangaramani for his social work and business achievements which have been marked by an exceptional journey of three decades. Dr Gangaramani’s journey which began in 1980 when he founded the Al Fara’a Integrated Construction Group, has culminated in a multi-faceted conglomerate of 10 construction related companies that collectively employ 18,000 people.

Last year in January, Dr Gangaramani was bestowed the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, which is reserved for notable persons of Indian Origin outside of India, by the President of India in Chennai. The prestigious Padma Shri Award, which was first conferred in 1954, is a civilian award for any Indian person to honour outstanding contribution or achievement in their chosen fields. Categories are not limited and include Business Excellence, Public Life and Social Service. Nominations are carried out by the State Government, Union Territory administrations, Ministries and other governmental bodies.

Dr Gangaramani is the fifth UAE Resident in 56 years and the sixth person in the GCC overall to be awarded the Padma Shri. Visibly humbled by the appreciation of his achievements in the realm of entrepreneurial success, his pivotal role in strengthening Indo-UAE ties and his immeasurable efforts at caring for the communities in which he operates, Dr Gangaramani thanked the Rulers of the UAE for their economic wisdom in creating an environment conducive to realising one’s dreams and further reiterated his commitment to serving the people of the UAE.

Dr Jawaharlal Gangaramani was born to a home executive and banker and grew up alongside his four brothers and one sister in Mumbai. He completed his engineering degree in 1971 and after working in India for three years, emigrated to the United Arab Emirates (‘UAE’) in 1974 as a project engineer on the Dubai World Trade Centre. Doctor Gangaramani was attracted by the challenge of working on what was at the time, the tallest ‘hi-tech’ building in the Middle East and a signal of things to come. The UAE had been founded three short years earlier and had just commenced its programme of accelerated advancement and transformation in support of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s vision of full utilisation of the UAE’s resources to benefit its people. The UAE has certainly become a land of opportunity!

After completion of the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dr Gangaramani’s journey took him to Al Ain, where he was appointed to the Al Ain Flyover project, using precast pre-segmental, pre-stressed technology, another first of its kind in the Gulf. Al Ain, characterised by vast spaces, the greenery and water of the Oasis as well as the warmth of the residents, connected with Dr Gangaramani. It was here that Dr Gangaramani commenced his life with his new bride and made his initial foray into the construction business. Using all his savings, Dr Gangaramani opened the Alfara’a Construction Company in 1980.

As an unknown entrepreneur who enjoyed a good rapport with the community, Dr Gangaramani set out to prove his capabilities and crafted his life mission as ‘a conduit of knowledge, resources, state of the art technology and investment into the United Arab Emirates’. In spite of securing any and every work opportunity at very low margins, soon Al Fara’a was managing around 12 projects. This, unlike most entrepreneurial ‘breakthroughs’, where one large achievement takes one onto the road of success, Al Fara’a experienced a ‘barrage of breakthroughs’. Nearly thirty years on, Al Fara’a employs 15,000 employees and has a presence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Sharjah.

Dr Gangaramani finds his life fulfillment in the way others experience his efforts. His personal motto of “service to make others happy and put a smile on their faces,” is reflected in the way he has served the UAE over the years.

Dr JR Gangaramani has innovated in the field of corporate social investment and has adopted a unique five pillar approach to his philanthropic efforts. These pillars are care (helping vulnerable communities through community service), empowerment (developing communities and networks to facilitate optimal growth by means of education and development), growth (contributing to the sustainable economic advancement of our communities via entrepreneurial successes), challenge (inspiring community members to progressively reach for new heights with various sporting, educational and recreational sponsorships) and nurture (enabling communities to flourish through a lasting environmental focus).

Dr Gangaramani’s integrated approach to Corporate Social Investment has included the benefaction of an array of charitable institutions that have achieved remarkable successes in caring for those with disabilities and subject to vulnerable economic circumstances. Examples include notable Organisations such as the Special Care Centre in Abu Dhabi, the Hope Centre in Al Ain and the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care, Special Needs and Minor Affairs. Empowering through education and network building initiatives were a highlight this year after a three year multi-faceted programme to the value of AED1,44’million/- in conjunction with the Higher Colleges of Technology aimed at bolstering the Engineering Faculty on a sustainable basis. Over and above the recent partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technology, since 2006, Dr Gangaramani has actively fostered in-house training programmes for Engineering students of the UAE University across various Al Fara’a Group business units. Sporting sponsorships, networking events and even hosting various cultural events have formed part of Dr Gangaramani’s extensive repertoire in his commitment to strengthening socio-economic and cultural ties not only in the realm of Indo-UAE relations, but across continents.

Al Fara’a Integrated Construction Group which was founded in 1980 in the United Arab Emirates spans property development, construction and related services as well as manufacturing and fabrication industries across the GCC and Asia.

Al Fara’a Properties, which has launched five projects ranging from commercial to residential and holds a AED10’billion/- property portfolio. In 2009, Al Fara’a Properties completed the handover of its pilot project, Le Grand Chateau in Jumeirah Village, Dubai, six months ahead of schedule. The project was also awarded best development by CNBC Arabia.

Economic

Al Fara’a General Contracting, licensed as a Special Grade Company by the UAE Government has achieved a track record spanning multiple typed of projects of different magnitudes. The construction and related services segment of the Al Fara’a Group includes an investment arm, mechanical, electrical and plumbing supply and services (Al Sabbah Electro-Mechanical), exterior and interior finishing as and even precast and steel structures.

In terms of manufacturing and fabrication, Belgium Aluminium and Glass employs cutting edge technology in its factories, that combined are arguable the largest of their kind in the UAE. Unibeton Ready Mix, backed by world class leading technology manufactures and optimises ready mix concrete to suit any requirement and is the leading concrete manufacturer in the Gulf.

Al Fara’a Group has an international footprint and employs some 18,000 people from various corners of the globe. Al Fara’a Group, which has an annual turnover of AED3.5’billion/- in 2010 prides itself on its remarkable results in the realm of rewarding career growth and the personal development of his employees with a wide scope of training, recreational and developmental activities spanning multiple disciplines. The Group has also prioritised Corporate Social Investment with the formation of its Al Fara’a Foundation that focuses on delivering sustainable long term solutions to meet the needs of its stakeholders.