India Inc. and MUSLIM

Trading, Business or Tijarat is Sunnah and is encouraged as a means of life in Islam. Still, Muslims lag behind in this and account for a very low share in India. One reason maybe that Muslims traditionally occupied in three professions for centuries—Ruling class (Rulers, nobles, and courtiers), Tax Collector, Military, and justice department. Even after centuries of rule, the banking, trading, and even the actual collection of revenue remained with non-Muslims. This explains the rise of Hindu Rao in Delhi and the role of Jagat Seth in Battle Passey and afterwards as fixers and manipulators.

Muslims own 8% of the country's total assets while their share of households stands at nearly 12%. This two-year-long study was jointly conducted by the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Jawaharlal Nehru University and Indian Institute of Dalit Studies from 2015 to 2017, and is based on NSSO data from 1.10 lakh households across various states.

An ET Intelligence Group analysis indicate Muslims constitute a mere 2.67% of directors and senior executives — 62 of the 2,324 executives — among the BSENSE -1.04 % 500 companies. The number of Muslim-owned registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has come down in the country from 10.24 per cent in 2009-10 to 9.1 per cent in 2014-15, as per the Annual report of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise. Muslim representation in the unorganised MSMEs, which is around 2-crore strong, is 12 per cent.

The traditional businesses operated by Muslims included industries such as silk and sericulture, hand and power looms, the leather industry, automobile repairing and garment-making. However, many of these have been hit by liberalisation. The Clean Ganga project has mostly affected the Muslims trading in tannery and other leather related products.

The only region which has produced most of the businessmen is Gujarat, where the Bohra traders, Khojas and other Shia sects have excelled in business. Even Sunni Muslims of Gujarat have done fairly well in their choosen areas. In northern region, where the bulk of the Muslims were either Zamindars, Taluqdars or belonged to peasantry class, such stories are seldom to be heard. As rightly pointed by Akaar Patel, Gujaratis dominate the business class among Muslims in India. The fact that among Indian Muslims, the Gujarati Shias dominate in matters of business shows that it is not religion but linguistic community and caste that make the difference.

There are also Sunni businessmen in India, but few. The dominant community here is again Gujarati, like the Memons of Kutchch, who do business around the world. Bollywood’s Muslim producers also tend to be Gujarati, like the Nadiadwalas.

Hamdard - Rooh Afza, the delicious summer drink was out of market in Ramzan 2019. The Group is facing court battle among various claimants for ownership of the Hamdard. It was founded in 1906 by Hakim Abdul Majeed to make Unani medicine. The Group is known for various well known ready to use home remedies for cough, bad throat, pain relief, and stomach illness. It has also opened Hamdard University in Delhi. 

Wipro : Azim Hashim Premji,  Chairman Wipro Limited, is the richest Muslim businessman in the world. He is second richest citizen of India after Mukesh Bhai Ambani of Reliance Group.   An electrical engineer from Stanford University, Premji transformed the vegetable oil family business into a world class company after diversifying the business. He founded the software division of the company in Bangalore and has been awarded ‘Padma Bhushan’. He has been very generous,  and has donated 39% shares of its company to Azim Premji Foundation. His father, Late Mohammad Hashim Premji turned down request of Md Ali Jinnah to move to Pakistan. Both of them are from Khoja community. Despite owning the second largest business house in India, Azim Premji lives Spartan life. He shuns luxury and pomp and is comfortable to take auto rickshaw for local travel, and economy class for distant travel.

Himayalaya—Since its launch in 1934, Himalaya group has covered many milestone and is one of the trusted brands among herbal and ayurveda segment. Founded by M. Manal,  it boasts of various medicines including Serpina. The company caters to health and personal care needs of consumers in 90 countries. It has been in business for 90 years.

 M A Yusuff Ali (Lulu Group): Yusuff Ali  Musaliam Veetti Abdul Khadir is the founder and Managing Director of the ‘Lulu Group International’. The Parliament Mosque in New Delhi was renovated by him recently. His business is spread across the world, with base in UAE, and is counted among richest Indians. He was honored with the ‘Padma Sri’ award. Lulu Group joined hands with Dubai Cares and adopted schools in Gaza and Nepal. He contributed and took initiative to open a multi-faith funeral centre for the Indian community in Sharjah. He often travels in his chartered plane, and is generously contributor to charity organisations.

Wockhardt group - It  is owned by Dawoodi Bohra Dr. Habil Khorakiwala. The Khorakiwalas also founded the first departmental stores in India, Akbarally’s. It is one of the top ranked pharmaceutical company in India. The firm engages in an endless list of CSR activities and has a workforce of 7500 people from 14 nations. Educated at Purdue University, he runs a billion-dollar firm that makes generic drugs.  Like other members of Bohra, he is traditional and is engaged in charity and other social work for the community. He avoids the company of progressive and reformers to avoid any clash with the sect and its spiritual leader.

 Cipla – This company has rich heritage. It was founded by Khwaja Abdul Hamied, who was educated at  Berlin University. He married a Jewish Farida. They hail from Kutch area of Gujarat  and  own  one of the well known pharmaceutical firm, which claims to sell medicine to the people at affordable prices. Yusuf Hamied and other family member run the business.  His father was a follower of father of Nation Gandhi Ji. He formed the Indian Drug Manufactures Association in 1961.  His efforts resulted in a better growth in the pharmaceutical industry in the country. His company is the lowest-selling company of AIDS medicines. He also established a Care unit for Cancer patients in Pune.

Gulrez Alam- He founded Resultrix in 2008, which is a leading service provider of search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), affiliate and social media marketing. They are certified partners with Google AdWords and Google Analytics. Resultrix has also been listed as a Microsoft adExcellence Company.

Abu Asim Azmi /Farhan Azmi – He is owner of Infinity Hotels, which is the parent company of Koyla, Café Basilico, Basilico House, and ChaiCoffi. He is married to Bollywood actress Ayesha Takia. His father Abu Asim Azmi is also a politician.

Faisal Farooqui – He co-founded Zarca Interactive, an online survey software, MouthShut.com and Dealface.com. He has received various awards and titles, like the Manthan Award by Govt. of India . He also pioneered auto rickshaw advertising.

Irfan Razack - He established Prestige in 1986. It is now a public company, with over 90 million square feet of properties gracing its profile. He has received various awards including Real Estate Excellence Award (2008), the Best Developer Award (2009) by Karnataka State Town Planning Development.

AJMAL- In 2013, Badruddin Ajmal emerged as the opposition leader in Assam Assembly, and was widely seen as one of the contender for the top post in the state. He is head of Ajmal perfume, a group with business interests in India and abroad. He is also head of the All India United Democratic Front.

Nowhera Shaik. -Nowhera Shaik is controversial businesswoman and the founder of Heera Group. An Indian politician and current president of the All India Mahila Empowerment Party, She was arrested in  2018 for running a Ponzi scheme running in over 4000 crores.

Fishfa Group- Fakhruddin  and Sajjad Husain are founders of the Group, which is best known glass supplier in India. They founded Fishfa Glass more than three decades back.  According the the website, Backed by more than forty years experience in the glass industry, he is the cornerstone of Fishfa Glass’ success and progress through the years. His works and accomplishments speak for themselves – he has transformed the Fishfa Group into one of India’s top glass business houses based on trust, quality and service. Sajjad Husain is Vice Chairman and Sakina is operations Director.

VANJAX – It is  supermarket for Hydraulic Tools, Equipment, Devices and Machines. Fakhruddin Vanak, is chairman of the industrial trolley and lift manufacturer. It  is owned by Bohra and they follow Syedna, who proclaims, ‘strengthen the hand of those who are coming to power’.

Deep Group-  Sharif Memon is owner of Deep Group, one of the biggest builders in Ahmedabad with around 65 lakh sq feet developed in the city. He named his building Al Burooj.

Lakhani, Ismaili, Tundiya & Co. - Kareem Lakhani is one of the most prominent Muslim chartered accounts in Ahmedabad.  Since 1999, the Lakhani, Ismaili, Tundiya & Co has been in business. He was once so poor that he used to sell milk to make a living and lived in a slum called Ram-Rahim Nagar.

Zafer Sareshwala,- He is head of Parsoli Motors, a BMW outlet in Ahmedbad. He is considered to be close to Narendra Modi, and was rewarded with the post of Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University.

Ali Hussain Momin, Internet, Gujarat-  He owns  Spider Communication which does printing and public relations and owns Muslim business networking platform Ummat. It has a turnover of Rs 50 crores  in 2018. The firm also got the hospitality business of Vibrant Gujarat.

Maniar & Co, - (Safibhai Maniar, Gujarat  )- Safibhai Maniar is the owner of Maniar & Co, which deals in material-handling equipment. His entire business set-up was gutted in 2002, but he has survived all riots with the philosophy – ‘ pay your taxes and ensure your business’.

Shahnaz Hussain – Her name is the brand name and a household name for ladies who are looking for herbal care for skin and beauty. She is herself the brand ambassador for products. She heads the largest organization of its kind in the world, with a chain of over 400 franchise clinics, shops, schools and spas worldwide, as well as Ayurvedic formulations for skin, hair, body and health care.  

East-West Airlines- The owner of the Airlines was gunned down by Chota Rajan gang in Bombay. The business was run by the Wahid family. It is in air taxi business.

The Al-Kabeer group- It is run by the Allana family. It is one of the top meat exporter and also involved in other products. It is one of the five top export houses of the country.

Patel Roadways- Areef Patel is owner of this firm which one of the top transport companies of India. PATEL INTEGRATED LOGISTICS LTD. a part of the Multifaceted House of Patel’s, is in its sixth decade of operations. It provides Logistics solutions across the country.

 Mirza International ( Kanpur)- The owner of the Red Tape Brand started their leather business in 1970. They are one of the large exporters of leather goods in India. It has presence in over 23 countries and sells its products in over 400 outlets in India. It has turnover of 480 crore in 2018.

LOKHANDWALA – The Lokhandwala Group of Companies, headed by Mr. Siraj Lokhandwala,  is a trustworthy household name in Real Estate in India. It made a beginning with "Crystal Shine", in Santacruz in 1978. It has transformed Mumbai's horizon into architectural complexes. The group has used novel technologies on building better homes that last a lifetime. They have given name to a gigantic Bombay colony, and are one of India’s biggest builders.

LINK LOCKS – It is the brainchild of Mr. Zafar Alam. After pursuing his Mechanical Engineering from A.M.U, Zafar Alam, founded the company in 1970 in Aligarh, INDIA. It is well known brand in lock segment.

Arsalan Hotel ( Calcutta) - Arsalan , The restaurant group is owned by Akhtar Parvez and Ayesha Parvez. They have outlets in Kolkatta and Dubai. It was started in 2002 by Akhter Pervez. “We cook with love and that’s the secret behind our success. And we are planning to expand in Rajarhat” .

Nazeer Foods ( Delhi) – A well known Mughlai & Indian restaurant company in Delhi / NCR, it was founded in 1975 by Aftab Ahmed. He started a business of supplying poultry products to 5 star hotels in Delhi. He started restaurant business in 1987, and boasts of many branches in Delhi / NCR.

Karim Hotels ( Delhi)- Since 1913, the group claims to provide royal food to the common people of Delhi. It has been featured in Time list of top hotels in Asia, and has been featured in numerous stories, documentaries. It is popular destination for food lovers in Delhi / NCR.

Shahnawaz Merchant – He is the managing director of Aeliya Marinetech Private Limited, which is considered to be Asia's Largest Ship Breaking Yard Alang. The 12000 Sq. feet warehouse / stockyard is located nearby Alang Ship-breaking yard.

B. S. Abdur Rahman Group- They are owner of B S Abdur Rahman University and other business interests. They have around 36 years of experience in successfully running academic institutions.

 Ayaz Basrai /  Founder, The Busride – After passing out of the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad), he founded The Busride, an independent design studio. His venture touched almost every field  of work including films and advertisements. He also runs The Gypsy Kitchen.

 Azhar Iqubal - Co-Founder and CEO, Inshorts : After dropping out from IIT –Delhi, he started up with News in Shorts App along with Anunay Arunav of IIT Delhi, and Deepit Purkayastha of IIT Kharagpur in 2013. The app provides an experience, of knowing it all, without reading it all.

Gulrez Alam / Global COO, Resultrix- Social media and e-commerce are essential weapons for the success and sustenance of companies. Without SEO and SEM, they would be as good as a gun without bullets. Gulrez Alam has spent more than a decade of making social media and e-commerce useful to his clients.

Irfan Alam – (Sammaan);  He is Founder  of Samman and won a contest where the people were asked to showcase their business ideas. He was called  “Business Bazigaar”.  In his company, the rickshaw pullers hold at least 51 percent of the stakes. He has organized the most scattered income generating sector in India - the rickshaw operators. He was invited for Presidential Summit, 2010 at Washington by the US President Barack Obama.

Irfan Razack / Managing Director, Prestige Group - The Razack Sattar family deals in the clothing, and shelter. Irfan Razack is Mr. Sattar’s eldest son. He studied commerce and graduated from St. Joseph’s College (Bangalore University) and was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by St. Joseph’s Old Boys Association. Later on, he completed a course in Jordan by the United Nations University International’s Leadership Academy (UNU/ILA).

 Javed Akhtar (CEO, Travelport) - The relationship between employee productivity and employee satisfaction is crucial for any company. He saw a tremendous opportunity in it , and Travelport was born. All the elements of loyalty and promotions programs have been covered. He wants to open travel offices in malls, and other places to add convenience to quality.

Jawed Habib / Managing Director, Jawed Habib Hair and Beauty Ltd (JHHBL) - Nazir Ahmed, Jawed’s grandfather, cut the hair of the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lord Mountbatten.  Jawed started units in remote places and trained a handful of students at a time. He  has over 200 saloons and 41 academies across India. He  has diversified and has entered into haircare and beauty business.

Jazeel Badur Ferry - Co-founder, Eventifier-  He wanted to build an app related to stock market integrating the SMS feature. This resulted in Eventifier, to archive the pictures and social media discussions threads while the event was on.  It is considered to be one of the promising start-ups in India.

Mohammad Hisamuddin (Co-Founder, Innoz Technologies and Quest) :   He wanted to unlock the treasures of SMS apps, and it resulted in Innoz and Quest.  Quest is an Android and iOS based application that function as a search engine where people answer questions posed by other people. Innoz has been recorded the largest offline search engine, 2013, in the Limca Book of Records. He has won a number of awards, including Nasscom top 8 emerging technology companies in India 2010, top 10 mobile application developers in India 2010, and top 10 emerging product companies 2011.

Navaj Sharief – Founder of  Ammi’s Biryani, the traditional homemade biryani packed in a box and delivered to you!  He has not looked back after starting Ammi’s Biryani in 2008. Ammi’s Biryani has over 30 outlets spread across Bangalore and Chennai.

Shahnaz Husain/ Founder, Shahnaz Husain Group – Her name is now a well known brand for beauty and herbal solutions in India. She has her branches in many countries and is hers is one of the trusted brands in beauty sebgment.

Syed Mohammed Beary - CMD, Beary’s Group: Beary’s is involved in total reality, property development, and turnkey solutions, infrastructure and construction engineering, shariah as well as education. The BGRT is India’s first sustainable green building research park. They have as many as 16 educational institutes across the coastal towns of Karnataka. The group has won multiple awards over the years.

Sirajuddin Qureshi / CMD, Hind Industries- Apart from being the chairman of the Group, he is the President of India Islamic Culture Centre, New Delhi. He reportedly donated 2 crores to the organisation, located on Lodi Road. He has defeated Salman Khurshid and Arif Mohammad Khan to retain his grip on the IICC, and is considered to  be close to RSS / BJP.  In 2010, Sirajuddin Qureshi was invited by US President Barack Obama for an entrepreneurial summit in Washington.

Monginis = Zoher Khorakiwala is the chairman of the group which has made  cakes affordable. Zoher joined the family business in 1972 and has transformed it with innovative ideas.

ANSARIS- Mumbai’s Mid Day newspaper group sold by the Ansaris in 2010. The Ansaris owned the Group which published Sportsweek, Mid Day & Inquilaba for 72 years.

MJ Akbar- He was the co owner and Founder of Asian Age. Later on he got his share and worked in Deccan Chronicle. He now published a weekly.