Rizwan Sajan On Building The Billion-Dollar Group, Investments, Dubai Real Estate & More | Podcast

You know Dubai is cheaper than Mumbai. It will cost 1-1.5 CR for the interiors which I give free of cost to the customer. Daddy passed by. I had to think about how to get food at home. I didn't have to ask outside. Suddenly a municipality car came.

They put their hands on the sheet. Then 2-3 people came from behind. They wrapped the sheet and threw it in the municipality's car. And I started crying there. I mean, can you imagine? When life is made, when you make the customer happy,

one happy customer will bring you 2 or 3 customers to buy from you. But one unhappy customer will tell 10 people, don't buy from Daniel Day. I used to talk to each and every customer. What does he buy? What doesn't he buy? What does he want? And it's very important to know that.

If there was no real estate developer, then maybe I would have... Shah Rukh is Shah Rukh. He is very humble, very sweet. Whoever meets him, they start falling in love with him. My wife is a big, big, big fan of him.

You've been so successful in all these years. Is there anything you miss? Welcome to the Pinkvilla podcast.

Thank you Avinash.

Thank you so much. Thank you for calling us to Dubai.

Welcome.

Welcome. Always welcome. When I came here today, I was introduced to your new property, your new launch, which is Breeze. When I entered this sample flat, I can see all this gold and glitter. It tells you you're in Dubai. What is the idea about all these properties? What is the idea behind all your projects which makes them look so different?

Actually, you know, when you see Dubai, you will see a house in Dubai, it will look very grand, it has a lot of decor, a lot of elegance, so every house which you see in Dubai is having a lot of decor which is being used compared to what you see back home and that's what we also do at Denny Properties. If you have seen a sample apartment, it comes out so well. And sometimes I get interior designers and I ask them, Sir, if I want to make this same house, a two bedroom apartment, my house is in Bombay, how much will it cost? You know what is the cost they tell me? 1 to 1.5 crore

rupees will be for the interiors. 1 to 1.5 CR for the interiors which I give free of cost to the customer. Whatever interior you take from me, the house, the payment plan is mine, apart from that, the furniture I give you, and not normal furniture, designer furniture, with Dolce Vita furniture I give them,

whose cost will be 1 to 1.5 crores to deliver a 2 bedroom.

That too, you get delivery before time.

That is for sure. One of the Denube is that whatever property we launch, we try to deliver before time. This is a very good record of ours. That is also possible because the whole building material is mine. Furnishing is my own company. So, I also final good contractors. I go to the site myself and see that the best product is delivered on time.

So, my customer always wants to get the customer on time. So, the return of the investment he made will start coming to him as soon as possible.

Yes, yes. How important is it for you as an entrepreneur that your client is happy with you?

Very important. The most important thing for me is that the customer who comes to me should be happy. Because I have a belief that once a customer takes it, you sell it. If that customer comes back and takes it, it means that you have built a trust on him and that's why he came to you. But if that customer tells the third person to you go and buy property in Danube, you have made a brand.

A brand is made when you make the customer happy. Because I always believe that one customer will bring you, one happy customer will bring you two or three customers to buy from you. But one unhappy customer will tell ten people that don't buy from Danube. So it's my belief that I to keep the best customer happy. And if you look at my Google review,

you check my Google review, we have the highest Google review amongst all the developers which is there in the market. And this is probably I can say that people who buy from us are very happy about it.

Your journey has been so interesting. If someone watches it from an outside POV, it is really like a dream story. Where did you start in Bombay? You have sold books on the streets, you have sold milk.

Your father passed away when you were 16. At that time, at 16, what was there in that 16 year old boy that, I will do something big despite all these struggles.

I think at that time there was nothing like that. To be honest, I will say that I thought at that time that I will become a big man. There was a passion, a work. First of all, there was a compulsion. First of all, it was a compulsion that it had come on my head. Dad passed away.

So I have to do it. At that time I had to think how to get food at home. No need to ask outside. So we started with that. What can a 16 year old kid do? You don't have a godfather.

So what you will do? You are going to try to make sure that you get some money. So I did such and such work, did very good work and by doing small work, I used to arrange for food in the house in any way. After that, luckily, I had to go to Kuwait, so I went to Kuwait.

But is there any such childhood memory that motivates you today? That I think this thing made me who I am today.

I'll give you a simple example, okay. This motivates, of course, but I will never forget it. Like I said, when I was 16 years old, I used to do some work so that I could bring groceries home. And for that I used to put a blanket on the road. What is a bankra? You put a small bed on the road and cover it with a sheet. And you can sell whatever you want on the sheet in the market.

You don't need anyone's permission. You just need to talk to someone. I just put it there and it's done. When I put the bed there, the municipality's vehicle would come. Because legally you are not allowed to do this. You must have seen that the municipality's vehicle comes. I was a 16 vehicle, a municipality vehicle, because legally you are not allowed to do this.

You must have seen that municipality vehicles come. I was a 16 year old kid. I put a small vehicle there, small work was going on. Suddenly a municipality vehicle came, they put their hands on the sheet. They put their hands on it, then 2-3 people came from behind, they wrapped that sheet and threw it in the municipality's car. I had some 700-800 rupees worth of stuff in it,

he wrapped it like this and threw it away. And I started crying there. I mean, can you imagine, I used to sit there with a bucket full of money to earn 10, 15, 20 rupees from morning till evening and my 600-800 rupees worth of stuff

went away at that time. So, the situation was such that I was scared. Then someone told me, don't cry son. There was an uncle next to me. We will go together. You can apologize now. And do something.

You know, like in India, we do things. We can bring him work to the customer. I went there and pleaded. Look, I have put it like this. I pleaded and had to give some more. I brought my bag back.

I brought back the things that I had thrown away. And the work that happened that day, but the day I was scared, I was very scared that I lost my 700-800 rupees. How will I run the house now? So, I can never forget these things all my life.

What lesson did you learn from this?

I learned from this that I should put a bucket again. Such problems keep coming in life. Problems come in life, then you have to get up. So, the lesson was that don't worry, problems keep coming in life.

Move ahead.

Yes, yes. You remember one of the first challenges when you shifted here? How to learn things, how to adapt things?

First I worked. I worked for a year somewhere. Where in the hardware market, I took a briefcase and sometimes I would take sanitary, locks, whatever they needed, I would sell it. Everyone would understand what was necessary for them. Then a situation came, my wife said,

a situation came that I got a chance to do a brokerage. So I told my wife that I want to start my own business. My wife said that you are crazy. We just settled. You know that you were not ready to give a job in Kuwait. You got a job in Dubai. You are leading a good life. Why are you doing all this?

I said, Samira, let me try. Because I made money in Kuwait and did a good job and people made money. Then I went to Bombay, I fell down there, I made money again. I came to Dubai, now I am making money. I think there is something in me, let me try Sameera. If you support me and I try this, if I it, then I will do it. Otherwise, anyone will give me a job. So, we started like that. Then we did a small brokerage work. Then we did a small trading business. While trading, we brought different materials for trading.

We did different decorative work. Then we opened many shops in UAE. Then we opened shops then in Middle East. And today, proudly I can say, this boy who came from Bombay with a briefcase, today, not only Dubai, but the biggest building material company in the whole Middle East. Daly Building Materials is the biggest building material company, not in UAE, but the whole of Middle East, which you can get and verify from anywhere which is available. So, but this is only by consistency hard work trying

to do something innovative, supplying new products to the customer on time and gradually, in 3 years, the progress that I made, that's why I went up. It looks like, how did Rizwan Sanchar become so big? But a lot of hard work, a lot of innovation went. From morning to evening, I remember I used to go to school to drop my son at 7 in the morning. And by the time I used to come home, it was 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock in the night. That was the only time I used to get time to spend with my son Adil.

So I used to drop him at school. First of all, I was there in the office before everybody and then go back by 11 to 12 o'clock every day in the night again start in the morning. You said a very beautiful line that when I

used to sell things, I used to see what is needed and then I used to sell that thing. Absolutely. As an entrepreneur, how important were these skills if you can explain?

You know what, I'll tell you something. When I started this shop, first of all I started this shop in my Sharjah, in the building. So, I used to go in the morning from 7 to 8, 8 to 12, 12.30. I used to be in the office. After 12.30, we used to have lunch at 1.30. Then I used to take a half hour break. I needed a power nap.

That was during the COVID times. After that, I used to go to my warehouse at 2.30 pm. From 2.30 pm to 7.30 pm, 8.30 pm, till the customers come, I used to talk to each customer. What does he buy? What doesn't he buy? What does he want? So, that pulse of the customer, I used to go to the warehouse every day to know that.

And it is very important to know that. Mostly, what happens is, you do do business and sit in the office. But if you want to be successful in business, then it is important to know the pulse. Even today, despite doing such a big job, I will see you on the floor for a long time.

Anybody who knows me, if you want to meet Mr. Rizwan, you go to the floor, he will go around 3-4 times a day, will talk to the customer, are you happy, did you get anything, would you like to give any suggestions, so this pulse is very important. And the pulse you get after talking to the customer, only after that you know, ground reality is what teaches you.

Yes, yes. And even today you are doing these things.

Even today, this is very important, you cannot work without this. Whatever business you do, it is very important to work on the ground.

Yes. Did you ever feel that you have made so much and now things are going back to the way they were?

No, touch wood. Such a situation came 3-4 times. You know, the Lehman Brothers crisis came. It was not my fault, it was Lehman Brothers. Everyone had a problem. At that time, we lost money because people were not buying, people were not paying. We were getting goods. At that time, the situation was like, I don't know how it will be now.

But by God's grace, the most crisis in UAE ended. Then came the COVID crisis. Even in the COVID crisis, we had the same problem. I don't know what is going to happen after 6-8 months. So, the problem was going to be solved. But, the more the problem came, you won't believe me, Avinash,

the better it got. Because, the foundation that I had worked on, the foundation of the foundation company was very strong. So, when these problems came, I wasn not the only one who used to face them. The competition also used to face them. So the one whose foundation was not strong, the competition used to disappear. Because his foundation was not strong.

Because my foundation was so strong, at that time we never had... In fact, we rebounded. And I will tell you, you know about Covid you must have seen how people suffered, how many big companies cut salaries, how many big companies fired people from their jobs, it's not a big deal, I mean for me it's a big deal and all the people who work with me, the first statement I gave was in the newspaper that I will not fire anyone from the company.

Not a single person will be fired from my company. And I didn't deduct a single penny from anyone. I didn't have money. I had properties. At that time, the property was not even sold. Whatever was sold at a price, I sold it and gave salary to people. And I did that 9 months, 1 year, which was of COVID, difficult period. I gave salary to every person in the house. Every person felt that this is not the work. But when COVID ended, after that the people who have worked with me,

I have never made so much profit in my life in the next year.

Wow!

Because there were two reasons for that. One, the competition was out. Second, the enthusiasm of my people was that what a company this is. They didn't let us suffer even for a day. So, that's the way it is worked. Alhamdulillah!

My father always says that if you do good, you will get good.

Yeah, absolutely. And at that time, you need a lot of courage to say that I will not fire a single person, I will not cut a single salary. I had said it to say, but I know how I managed at that time.

Yes, yes. Never did anyone come and say, be practical. These business terms nowadays, many times, many entrepreneurs say, be practical. Yeah. entrepreneurs say, be practical. How to balance? That you have to look after your business but you have to be human too.

You have to do business, it is important to be practical. But at that time I felt that the people who work with me and who have made this company need me more than them. I can't be ruthless to them. It was easy for me to fire 1500 out of 2000 people and keep 500 people. But my conscience did not allow me to fire them so ruthlessly. It did not allow me.

And touchwood, that has paid off because in the long run, people who are working with me are still working with me, still giving their life for the company and it always pays off.

Yes.

Do you feel that construction business has money? That there is money in the construction business?

No, there is no money in the construction business. I used to work in the construction business in Kuwait. I knew that only. Luckily, I got that job in that business. So, I took that job and worked in that business for a year. Then I thought that I didn't even feel happy. What was there to bring? I was in Dubai, the company that I was told that I will get a job,

they told me that they will keep me on a salary. They didn't even give me a salary, they said I won't get it now. I said I will get half salary. I said give me a roof, man. Give me a roof to live on. I will manage the food that and started in the hardware market.

I used to sell it and get commission on it. This is how I started in Dubai.

You have got so much success in so many years. Is there anything that you miss today?

Is there anything that I miss? I don't think there is anything that I miss. I enjoy everyday. My desire is not that big. I don't think I miss anything. I enjoy every day. I don't have any big wishes. I don't have any wish that I should have this or that. Everything is given by God. I don't miss anything.

Do you miss Mumbai?

I miss Mumbai and I don't. I missed it a lot in the beginning. Because when I come from Mumbai, we definitely start missing it. But once you stay in Dubai, Dubai is such a place. Dubai makes you, the person who comes here, what do you call it, it sticks to you like a magnet. And then you don't like it.

Yes, if I go out of Dubai, I miss Dubai a lot. But if you ask me Mumbai, yes I used to miss a lot before. But right now I miss Dubai more.

Sir, maybe that's why you always say that Dubai is the best city in India.

Dubai is the best city in India, absolutely. Because the restaurants I know here are not as many as in Mumbai. If you want to eat South Indian food, you won't find restaurants like this in Mumbai. You won't find Gujarati thali like this in Mumbai. Really? Yes, there are so many restaurants here. So, you can count the restaurants here.

Whatever food you want to eat, you won't miss cricket here. Asia Cup is also going on here. You won't miss Bollywood. Every time there is a Bollywood stars have come to me, where I have been invited. So everyday there are some other people who are there in Dubai. And touchwood, there is nothing here that you miss. Lifestyle is very, I would say, in the language of Mumbai,

full Mumbai style, you can call it India style. Any region you have come from, India, you feel that you are at home today in Dubai.

Even after getting so much material success milne kabar bhi asli khushi kis cheez mein milti hai?

Mujhe na to be honest asli khushi aaj bhi jo hai na kaam mein milta hai. Main bataunga kis cheez mein khushi milti hai. I still love, I enjoy when I am working. It's not that I don't enjoy when I'm not working. But if you ask me given a choice between working or going for a vacation, I would say working.

Really?

Really, really. I know this is a very, very strange reply. But I enjoy doing work.

Family doesn't complain, sir? Let's go on a holiday.

Family has accepted me now. This is how I am. No, don't touch me. God has given me such a good family that she has given me that space for me to work. She has never complained. Now the child has grown up, so I never knew what grade he was in. We used to go to the parents' meet.

So my wife used to say, you have to come today. I said, okay. So, sometimes I would meet other parents there. So, which class is your child in? So, I said 6th. So wife said, I am in 7th now. So to be honest, you know like she has taken care of my son so well.

Because of this, of course miss will definitely complain but she knows that this is his passion. He likes to enjoy. And she allows me to work. Till today, she allows me to work.

I don't think you take sick leave. The way you are working.

I have a principle in life. If you are sick, What happens normally when you are sick? You have a fever, a cold, I am talking about normal sick people. You take one Panadol and come to the office.

If you have a severe cold, take two Panadol and come to the office. Do you know that it rained in Dubai last year? It rained a year ago. It rained so much in Dubai that there was nothing. The cars were not working. I came to Dubai in a metro.

You can check it out today. Rizwan Sajani in a metro. He came for the office. I was trolled a lot. Why do you have to work so much? But that is what I am. And while leaving, I had so much trouble

that I know how I reached home. I had reached office in the morning, but it was raining all day. I was wondering why I came to office. But I reached.

How did you reach?

I reached by bus.

By bus again?

I mean, bus, car, metro, whatever it was, I somehow reached at night. I reached with reach there. Bus, car, metro, whatever it was, I somehow reached there at night. I reached there with great difficulty.

Yes. So, have you had to make any sacrifices?

Sacrifices? Family, I would say. To be honest, the life that a family should have, that should be given to the son, wife, in life, I would say, that has been a sacrifice. But, it didn't make a big matter to me that much. Family was there to support me. They always supported me. So yes, she was very consistent. We used to go on holidays once a year. For a week or ten days. So we used to go with not only my wife, my children,

other men, my sister, my brother. everyone used to spend a family vacation.

Did you miss it? With your kids, wife, time spent together?

Of course, I miss it 100%. Definitely today I spend a lot of time with them compared to before. We swim together, especially on the weekends.

Nice.

Every day in the weekend, my grandchildren are there. The fun of playing with them every day, that keeps going on. And I have given more time to my grandchildren than my son. So he is also very happy. My wife is also getting a lot of time.

Because I still work, but the time I used to work for 14-15 hours, now I work for 8-10 hours. That's the difference.

It's good, sir. You have time for myself also. For yourself also. Yes. Sir, what is the definition of self-made for you? If there is a person who describes that self-made, so you are self-made. What is the importance of this word in your life?

I think very very important. A person should be self-made and I think every person should be. Why not? If you have that entrepreneurial qualities in you, hard work and luck, everybody should be self-made.

These three things need to be combined. If you have these three qualities, definitely try and become self-made. You should not think in it that why not I should try.

Today, entrepreneurs are coming to Dubai, new kids are coming to Dubai, what

skill should they bring? Today the skill of AI is very different I would say. One has to be very very, the way the world is going, in our time that was not there. But AI will play a very very important role. This cyber security, this skill is also very important here. Plus, you should have a selling skill. If you have the knowledge of property, you should have all the knowledge you have in tech.

This will make things simpler here. If I want to buy a house in Dubai, how much money do I need?

You don't need much, to be honest. You know, Dubai is very cheaper than Mumbai. Very, very cheap, because I know the prices in Mumbai. Today, Dubai is way cheaper than Mumbai. Way cheaper, because I know the prices in Mumbai. Today, Dubai is way cheaper than Mumbai. And the best part is that you don't need a bank loan here. There are a lot of developers who give you a payment plan. So, you can buy a good house for 2-5 crores. Minimum 2-2.5 crores. And within 5-66 crores you can buy a good house. In which you have to pay down payment of 10%, 20% maximum.

And after that you have to pay 1% per month. So if you bought a house of 2.5 crores, then you paid 25 lakhs as a down payment. And the balance is 2.5 lakhs for 2 months. So anyone can pay 2.5 lakhs in Mumbai. So that is very easy.

Within 2.5 crores, you will get such a nice house, you will get a full furnished house, you will get amenities, you will get a good location. And the best part is, that you invested,

then your rental income also started. Meaning, 8%-10% of your rental income came. That is very good, because 2.5 lakhs a year. You have earned 25 lakhs a year, and that will last for years. Rentals and money.

And there is no taxation in this.

Correct.

You don't have to spend 2.5 crores because we have a post handover plan. So you have given 1.7 crores. 30% post handover. So in 1.7 you are earning 25 lakhs. But imagine ROE, which I call, it becomes 12 to 15%.

Yes, yes.

Despite so many challenges, does it still hurt? FOMO is like, look, what happens is, when you are in the business, you take risk, you take a lot of risk. Of course, I am very calculative you take a lot of risk. Of course I am very calculated when I am taking some risk and when you take the risk there are chances that you might lose money. There is always a fear of losing money as a businessman that you

don't take such a risk in which you will lose out because in life I have learned one thing that my uncle taught me. He said lot of people live rich but very few people die rich.

Wow.

Okay. At that time I was not able to understand what my uncle wanted to say. But lot of people live rich and many people die rich. So first of all I want to die rich and I am risk So, what happens in that is, I know that if this particular project or particular thing doesn't work, then how much I am going to lose, can I sustain that loss.

So that's the way I do it. Yes, there is fear. If you do any business, but you will do calculative risk and… But this is a business, brother. Anything can happen at any time. That's one thing.

And second, work is important for me. I don't want to be stopping working. And that's very important. The most important thing is that I can't sit at home. The fear of missing out on work is the most important thing. Never make me sit at home. For any reason, let me work.

As long as I am alive, as long as my breath is alive, let me work.

How do you deal with this fear of failure then?

Fear of failure, when you are a businessman, you have to take risks. And I have seen many ups and downs in life. I have fallen down many times, I have come up much strongly every time. So I don't take that fear of falling down. If I fall, I know I will get up again. I always tell my children and brothers,

that tomorrow, when I wake up, Rizwan Sajan will be fine. Tomorrow, I will be able to play the bagda again. I swear to God, I will have no inhibition that Rizwan Sajan is playing bagda on the road. So, that is what is going to happen.

It won't happen, sir.

No, but it has happened. God doesn't know what color he shows to whom. But remember, if it happens in life, it will be a problem.

Risk appetite as an entrepreneur. How important is it?

Very important. You should take risk appetite but it should be a calculative risk. Like I mentioned, take a calculation risk. So, of course, business, I say that when you have done all the business, everything has been 100% successful, even if there are some failures,

then you should take a risk.

What calculations should you take when you take a risk?

For example, let me tell you. If I make a billing of 2000 crores, in 2000 crores, approximately I have an investment of 1000 crores. In 2000 crores, I have approximately 1000 crores of investment. Or 500 crores of investment. Okay, to build a building of 2000 crores, I have 500 crores of investment. And for some reason, that building of 2000 crores is not being sold. But your 500 crores or not? If that 500 crores doesn't go to the building of 2000 crores, then how much appetite you have, that you have to see. The calculative risk of the loss you have to take. If you see that the market of 2000 crores has fallen, you have invested 500 crores and the stock is not selling, how will you manage the 500 crores?

Okay, it is difficult in the beginning but as your business grows, when you have that, you have reserves, so that time you take a much calculative risk that you should not lose anything. Even if you lose, you have backing.

Yes, yes. This all comes with experience.

Yes, it comes with experience. Because I have done so much work, I have benefited, I have lost, I have benefited, I have suffered losses, I have benefited, I have suffered losses, but I always work with a calculative risk.

Is there any advice that you find useful even today?

I think, whatever you do, whatever business you do, your foundation should be stronger. Always, whenever you do any work, don't start just because you see that there a boom in Dubai. You will become a property developer from wherever you come. I have seen many people come to Dubai seeing a boom,

that I will become a property developer, I will do this and that. But if your foundation is not strong enough to do that, then definitely you will fall. And the day you do that, you will not be able to tolerate it. So whatever business you do, first of all, it is very important to understand the business.

Very very important to know that what you are doing. And to create that foundation strong, that if there is a problem tomorrow, then it will be easy for you to handle it.

How much time do you think it takes to create a foundation?

How much time do you think an entrepreneur should give in this process? foundation create karne mein? Aapko lagta hai ek entrepreneur ko kitna time dena chahiye us process mein? I think wo day everyday ka process hai. Aaj bhi agar aap mujhe bolo itni badi company hai, everyday you have to adding people because you know, you don't know everything, but because you have a business, you can hire people who are smarter than you, who will teach you what to do. So this will keep going.

I am asking because we see a lot of times that especially the younger generation, the Gen Z's, they have a lot of opportunities, but maybe they have less patience. Absolutely. Is there a golden advice that you would like to give to them? That you do this, your core will be stronger.

I think like I said, first of all you should learn business, whatever it is. But just because your dad has given you money, you started the business, it should not be like this. First of all, understand the business, what you are having, make an action plan. How will you handle the loss? Complete cash flow, profit management, how will you sell, how will you get the money, how will you go.

It is very important to have complete knowledge. If you don't have the knowledge, you have to hire people who will guide you. A finance guy, I know a friend of mine, a doctor, a very famous doctor, he tells me that he has so many shops, so many clinics for doctors over here, cosmetologists, but he is not able to make money. I asked him why he is not able to make money. He said that he is making money but don't know where they are going. So, you have to have people who will guide you that sir you are making money, where to invest, where to invest, how much to invest, how much to take out. So, this is very important. So, it is very important to learn from Gen Z that if you invest money, you have to have some money to come out. And always remember, there

will be no over rate success. Whatever success you get, you will get it gradually. Sure. Sir, you mentioned hiring, so I wanted to ask when you hire for your company, what are the 3 things you look at before you hire them? I am asking this because I definitely believe that sometimes you can work for 19 people but you should be 20. What is your thought on this?

I see three things. First, the person who comes to me, I see his personality grooming. How he is dressed, how he has made his hair, how is he shaved,

properly shaved, not shaved, this is very important, how he walks with that confidence. Second thing, the track record of that person. Track record of that person is very important. Meaning, today he has become a manager, why he became a manager and how he became a manager. Meaning, he has to work, he has started as a lower

level, he started and then he is promoted gradually to a supervisor, from a supervisor to sales manager and then a country manager and the poor regional manager. So that is very very important that how his growth factor happened and third most important is his credibility and how long he has worked in a company. Credibility means I can tolerate everything in a person. I can tolerate mistakes too. But what is the back reference of credibility? How he has worked with credibility? And how long he has worked in a company. One is that you have worked for a year or two to move forward.

You got a new job. You worked for a year or two and got a new job. By the way, you never hired a person. Until that person is not giving 4-5 years in a company, I don't say don't change the job. Of course, you have to change. But at least you should give to that company 4-5 years, 6 years and then you start training.

Sir, you have written so much work, what do you do in your free time? What else do you enjoy other than work?

I have a lot of friends. I have a lot of circles over here. We normally meet on weekends. And I like to spend time with my family. Of course, when I go to my friends, also it's with the family. It's a get-together. So, I meet my friends, chat, have fun, joke around. I check WhatsApp. I have WhatsApp groups.

So, I like to check. Whenever I feel like something is happening, I feel like something is wrong. So I add some oil to it. So that the spices can be mixed more.

It is important to contribute.

So I enjoy that.

Do you like movies?

I love movies. I like to watch movies. Especially after that hard work day. Movies, half an hour, one hour, if you don't want to watch the whole movie, then it becomes a relaxed mind. Even if I sit in the flight, definitely I will watch a movie. Hindi movies mostly I like more than the English movies. Which movies did you watch in the beginning?

I watched a lot of movies. DDLJ is my favorite movie. Shahrukh Khan's all movies. Amitabh Bachchan's all movies. I love the movies. Sanjay Dutt, Govindas's movie. It is very enjoyable to watch. One thing I want to share. My mummy stays in my house.

So, mummy loves to watch movies. So, I sit with her and watch movies. Whatever happens in half an hour, she feels also very happy. Best time. So I hold her hand and watch the movie.

Best time.

Sir, if you were not a real estate developer, what would you be?

You? I am laughing at myself. If I was not a real estate developer, then maybe I would have been in movie production.

Okay.

I would have been wire of production or Karan Johar production. Or someone used to produce movies because I have a big hobby. Creative, direction. So, this was 100% in India, in Bollywood. If I had money, I would have started movie production. I still want to do it but my wife doesn't agree. She says, no, you can't do it would have started a movie production. I still want to do it. But my wife doesn't agree.

It's a good business.

It's a good business, but my wife said you'll go bad. So, I'm not starting because of that. I have a passion for business, but she doesn't want me to go. She says, you're doing a good business of real estate. You're earning money too. Work here.

Because you mentioned Bollywood. A lot of Bollywood people want to come and live in Dubai. A lot of Bollywood people invest in Dubai. They invest a lot in properties. Why do you think you have so much interest recently? I have a lot of friends who friends who have bought properties here.

What is the reason?

I think, like I mentioned, Dubai is the safest city. There is no other city like Dubai in today's date. You can see the safest city in the world. There is so much security for the children here. The education sector is the best here. All the colleges and universities in the world have come here. security hai, itna education sector sabse best hai yaha pe, saari duniya ke colleges yaha pe aachu ke, universities yaha pe aachu ke. Health sector, hospital wise the best

hospitals of the world, koi bhi treatment karana hai yaha pe hai. Toh koi bhi aapko infrastructure aapke dekhoge, road dekho is so easy. If you want to do business in any business, it is very easy to do business over here. There is no place like Dubai in the world. And I told you about safety, even if you roam around at 3 in the night, you won't have any problem.

Yes. In Danube, especially Bollywood is very interesting. Bollywood is very span. Everything is here for property. What are you giving them separately?

To be honest, I am not giving anything special. But they know that, like a common customer has a trust on Denube. He knows that you will invest money in Denube, your money will not go down, money will be appreciated. If there is any problem, out of the way, Ridwanwan bhai jaake solverege uska. And wo ek connect bhi hai mera Bollywood ke saath because of the film fair jo mere paas tha. Toh uske waise ek connection bhi ban chuka hai. You know what happens, you know somebody. It's better to know, work with a known devil than

rather than working with somebody you don't know. Toh wo connection bhi hai and that's why people feel very very comfortable and then when they come of course I offer them a good deal also as a celebrity deal to then I put them on which I definitely offer them that is the reason and today I mean but knowing I make a coffee Logan it without naming anybody have invested in my jump yeah yeah yeah touch wood Alhamdulillah. What are you most grateful about today? I think grateful about everything. For every breath which I am taking, I am grateful about it.

I eat food, those who are around me know that after eating I will say, Shukar Alhamdulillah. It should come out. First I had breakfast, lunch, dinner, this word has to come out. Whatever work I did, I am grateful to Allah. So I am grateful about everything that God has given me because to be honest, I would say that I am a blessed child.

You know, everyone does the work. Who doesn't? Everyone does the hard work. But very few people get so much respect and success. So, I think God has blessed me a lot. Maybe my great-grandparents, my mom, my grandma, my dad, or someone else have done a good deed, which I am getting the result of today.

You have hard work too.

Who doesn't work hard? Everyone does. Hard work, entrepreneurial quality, these are side by side. But God's support is also very big. I want to make a biopic on my life, to be honest. And I think sometimes, I am a writer, and if I make a movie,

I am in search of a director. If I get a director, in search of a director, I want to, Hansal Mehta, do you know him? Yes, of course. Okay. So, I want to make my biopic with Hansal, and not with anyone else. I mean, there may be many other directors,

but it's just in my mind that if I get him, I'll make it.

You're very impressed because you saw his show.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yes.

When I came, I was talking to some people and many said that working with sir is different. I want to understand what is different? What is different here?

I think a personal feeling comes when you work with Danube. It feels like a kind of belonging. 100% it is there in our company. Whoever works here, he really gets that feeling of belonging. And second thing thing motivation, jisko milta hai. Of course every year increment, bonuses, jo bhi hota hai, ho toh hota hi hai. But, aur dusra jo people

who works around me mostly, wo dekhege ke main very rarely gusta hota hoon. Very very rarely gusta hota hoon. Aur because business mein galti business, mistakes are made. Normally when you go and work with any boss, you make a mistake, it means you are not doing well and you will get scolded. Of course, you will get scolded. What have you done? Why you shouldn't have done this? I will say this much. Be careful next time. But I will not increase or decrease it. Once I will say that I don't think you should have done this because you have suffered so much loss because of this. So, I treat them as a family. Like today

someone had a problem. That fellow was too touched. What was the need for him to come and talk to Rizwan sir, Rizwan bhai to solve his problem. I felt that he said that this and that happened to me. So, immediately called my lawyer. I said this person has to be immediately solve this problem. He will never forget that. And that's what is called a friendship.

You are going to get a lot of applications. No, no. After this answer, you will get a lot of applications.

And the best thing in my company is because of this they work like owners in my company. They feel that this is my work and I have to do it. I have to do something for this company.

People know you as a billionaire, people know you as a businessman. What do you want people to remember your legacy as? How should people remember you? What do you want?

I think these are the small things, how to meet people, how to help people, how to help people out of the way. Those who have bought a house, should remember that we bought a house in Danube, and how much money we have earned and how good a house we have got. So, I would definitely like that 22,000 houses have been delivered, 22,000 people are living in my apartment.

22,000?

22,000 apartments. That's huge.

Yeah, every year we deliver about 3 to 4,000 apartments.

That's a huge number.

Huge numbers. Yeah, that's a touchwood. Dubai is a great and you know, I have made a good name, so I am building it on time. I am building big buildings now. I have launched a new project called Breeze. It is a very good project.

Sir, before we move on to the last segment, if you have to give three investment ideas to the younger generation that if you invest in this, you will be able to make more money. What will be these three suggestions?

I will give the easiest idea. Set up a real estate business. I am not joking. Real estate ka bagda laga do. Mazaak nahi bol raha hoon. Real estate ka bagda laga do, real estate ki dukaan khol do. Yaha pe bahut duniya bhar ke log aare invest karne ke liye and if you have that selling skill and then marketing skills, toh you will be able to sell and make money without investing much. Sabse easy easy ho hai. Content creation mein chale jao. And the easiest way is to go into content creation. But that's another skill. If you know that content creation, videography, editing,

all that, you can make money in that also. And of course, like I said, AI, if you learn it, so that is what is the future, what is going to come.

Sure.

Because we're from Pinkvilla, we'll play a rapid fire round with you. We have a few questions. First question, would you rather have dinner with Amitabh Bachchan or Shahrukh Khan?

This is a difficult question. I like both of them. I watch both of their movies. But I think I will enjoy more with Shahrukh because of my age. We both are of more or less the same age. So obviously I will enjoy working or having a dinner with him more.

You have met him before?

Yeah. met him before? Yeah yeah. What was the conversation like? Very good conversation almost like a friend and you know he Shahrukh as Shahrukh is very humble, very sweet. Whoever meets him, they start falling in love with him. My wife is a big big big fan of him. So, she is such a big fan that she has kept two pictures in our house. Two, what do you call it? Frames. So in one picture I have two frames in my house. In one frame, there is me and my wife. And in the second frame, there is Shahrukh and him.

Wow!

So whenever I talk to Shahrukh, he says, remove Rizwan's frame and let me have my own.

Sure. Who is your dream Bollywood star to sell her penthouse to?

I think, see, if I say, I can give it to Amitabh Bachchan or if you say lady, Priyanka Chopra. I am big fan of Priyanka Chopra. I like Priyanka a lot. I feel that she is also from something, you know, from nowhere she has made so big in her life. Yes, Priyanka Chopra.

What's more difficult, finding a new plot in Dubai for their new properties or convincing your wife after a fight?

I think convincing your wife after the fight

It's so difficult

It's so difficult, like my almost 5000 people plus people work for me I can convince everyone, but when you are angry, it's difficult to convince you

How sweet is that Was there one WhatsApp group you never want to miss messages from?

I think my friend group, where I enjoy a lot Whenever I have to get distressed, I open WhatsApp group. I see what is spicy, what spices are coming, what gossip is coming in it. Because you know, we have in the group also, we have a couple group and then we have a men's group. The fun in the men's group is the same in the couple group. So we really enjoy that.

Lovely. In one line, Rizwan Sajan's mantra for handling haters.

I think I don't get into that. And I have only one. I remember the song. Some people will say that it is the job of people to say, leave it, it's useless, what do we do with it?

Point noted sir. One habit of yours which your employees tease you about?

Why don't they go home? Because until I don't go home, they can't go. Those who are around me. Send them home. Call their wife and tell her to call them home.

If you get one day completely off, no calls, no emails, How would you spend it?

What a wrong answer!

Sir, one day can be spent for yourself.

I would spend with my wife, my children, my grandchildren. Yes, I can do that. You are a family man. Yeah, I am. To be 100% I am a family man. If 16 year old Rizwan would have seen your life today, what would he be shocked by? What would a 16 year old boy be shocked by? He would say, this 16 year old boy used to live in 200 square feet.

Hmm.

Today he has such a big house.

How big is it?

40000 square feet.

Oh my God!

Hahaha.

Even we get shocked.

Hahaha.

Should I cancel the ticket?

Hahaha.

Between Dubai winters and Mumbai monsoons, your favorite weather?

I think Dubai winters because monsoons are very cold.

Sir, last question. Who is that one friend who can call you at 3 am and you will definitely pick up the call?

See, I will tell you, I can't name any one person because I'm close to many good friends and very very close to them and there are many of them who I can call and they can call me and we can both rely on each other. If I take one name, I'll get a lot of beatings. Not one friend.

Sir, when I say that your journey is very inspiring, I don't say it lightly. It is genuinely very, very inspiring. To start from where to where you have reached, it is no joke. Every person who dreams of creating such a big empire, what would you like to say to them? If you have to say something in one line, what will you tell them?

Keep working hard and keep thinking big. And try something different. Don't go what everybody is doing. If you run after what everyone is doing, you will never move forward. Like if you see my life story, I have certainly done business, but I have always done it differently. I have always done it with a new innovation.

And then I have used marketing on it, I have let people know about my innovation. Like today I have a 1% payment plan. I think kids know, I have got a book named 1% man. So whatever you do business, do something different and make sure the whole world knows about it.

Yeah, make sure the whole world knows about it. It's the most important line. Sir, thank you for giving us your time. I know how busy you are. You have taken up the schedule. You have taken up the schedule.

And I enjoyed my podcast with you. Thank you. I'm so happy you did. Thank you so much. Your time really means a lot. Thank you.