Datar: Pandemic has taught us many things
UAE’s Masala King says planning and gratitude are his biggest takeaways
For Dhananjay Datar, founder and managing director of Al Adil Trading, the pandemic has been an eye-opener with many lessons to be learnt.
Known as the UAE’s ‘Masala King’ because of his retail chain that sells Indian spices, Datar said: “As a businessman, my biggest challenge is managing overhead costs and maximising profit with little disruption to my capital.
“The way I did it was by negotiating hard with my suppliers. I could not overcharge customers although they were purchasing food items in bulk. It was not the time to capitalise, but be compassionate to their needs.”
Good planning
Datar said the national sterilisation drive reminded him of the Gulf War period when people were uncertain about the availability of food.
“There was no shortage whatsoever, but some people started panic-buying this March. It was a challenge. I had to negotiate harder with my suppliers as I could not raise prices. So I made sure there was a good planning in place for stock purchases.”
Managing costs
Datar’s family supports him in his business and that helped reduce a lot of his financial stress. “We had to learn, re-think strategies and re-work budgets,” he said.
“I am proud to say that I did not cut my staff’s salary. No one was made redundant either. All I did was work around my cost and profit.
“The way to do it is by keeping costs low. Planning is critical. We tend to buy items
I am proud to say that I did not cut my staff’s salary. No one was made redundant either. All I did was work around my cost and profit.” Dhananjay Datar | Founder and managing director of Al Adil Trading
well in advance. For example, Navaratri and Diwali are coming up over the next months. We have already bought all our items for these festivals. If you try and purchase in the last minute, the supplier always keeps prices higher by almost 400 to 500 per cent.
Giving back to society
Datar has been actively involved in the repatriation of stranded Indians. “My childhood was filled with poverty. So I know the pain of not having food on the table. I know the pain of not having family and your loved ones around you. And that is why I did not think twice about offering my help. The pandemic has been a great teacher,” he said.
Staying in good health
Datar, who has been quite open about his earlier battle with depression, said the pandemic did not affect him.
“Thanks to regular yoga and meditation, I kept depression at bay,” he said, adding, “gratitude was something I felt very strongly as well. And that is exactly why I did a lot of charity work.”