JOY ALUKKAS

Joyalukkas Group: $1.4bn

Another Kerala native, Joy Alukkas took his first steps by setting up a jewellery showroom for his father’s business in Abu Dhabi in 1987. That opening was promptly followed by expansion to the other emirates and moves into India, the UK, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, creating a multi-million-dollar retail gold and diamond jewellery business in the process. Today the group’s interests also include money exchange, malls, fashion, silks and luxury air charter while it has built a reputation for corporate social responsibility initiatives across many of its markets.