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Abu Dhabi, 1973, a warm evening, an 18-year-old boy from Kerala outside the airport. Slender frame, simple clothes, an old suitcase in hand, few dirhams in his pocket. His name, Yusuff Ali M.A.
Story of Yusuff Ali, a Kerala boy who built the Lulu Mall empire across the Gulf and India, becoming a retail giant with $8B revenue.
Key Takeaways
- Hard work and learning on the ground can build a global business empire.
- Identifying unmet needs in a community can create huge business opportunities.
- Strong relationships with local governments and cultural understanding are critical in international business.
- A customer-first philosophy and humane employee culture contribute to sustainable success.
- Family involvement and progressive values can strengthen business continuity.
What the video covers
- Yusuff Ali left his small village in Kerala in 1973 at age 18 to work in his uncle's small business in Abu Dhabi.
- He started with hard labor in a warehouse but quickly learned the entire business and identified a market gap for Indian goods in the Gulf.
- In 1980, he opened the first Lulu store in Abu Dhabi, which rapidly expanded into a chain of hypermarkets across the Gulf region.
- Yusuff Ali introduced the hypermarket model to the Gulf, combining groceries, clothes, electronics, and more under one roof.
- He maintained strong relations with Gulf governments and royal families, which helped his business grow smoothly.
- Lulu Group now has over 200 hypermarkets, multiple malls in India, and annual revenues around ₹60,000 crores ($8 billion).
- Yusuff Ali's business philosophy emphasizes customer respect, hands-on management, and humane employee culture.
- His family is actively involved in the business, with a progressive approach to women's participation.
- Lulu Group has helped thousands of Indians, especially from Kerala, find employment and improve their lives.
- Yusuff Ali also engages in philanthropy, providing relief supplies to Kerala without publicity.
Chapters
- 00:00Yusuff Ali's Arrival in Abu Dhabi, 1973
- 01:25Building the Lulu Business Empire
- 02:46Personal Life and Marriage
- 04:06Employee Stories and Business Philosophy
- 05:14Early Life and Education in Kerala
- 06:36Business Expansion and Hypermarket Model
- 09:35Relations with Gulf Governments and Royalty
- 12:29Philanthropy and Personal Investments
- 13:56Lulu Group Today and Family Involvement
- 16:19Legacy and Impact on Indian Diaspora
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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The first time away from his village, his first time abroad, his first flight. Outside, a desert, intense heat, and massive Arabian buildings. His uncle came to pick him up. He put him in a small car. On the way, his uncle said,
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"Son, this is Abu Dhabi." "There is much work here, but it requires very hard labor." "From the start, you will have to work in the warehouse." Lifting goods, opening boxes, assisting customers. Yusuff Ali nodded. "Whatever the work is, Uncle, I am ready."
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50 years later, a very grand office in the tallest building of Abu Dhabi. The same man, now over 70, in a suit, holding a fine pen, an award from the Arab government on the table. From the window, one can see all of Abu Dhabi,
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and Yusuff Ali, a very famous businessman in this entire region. The company name is Lulu Group, total revenue around $8 billion, over ₹60,000 crores. Across the Gulf and India, more than 200 hypermarkets and many magnificent Lulu Malls. An Indian
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who left a small village in Kerala and became the owner of a Gulf business empire. Today's story is of that Kerala boy who started from an Abu Dhabi warehouse and built a retail empire across the Middle East. Hello. This is
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India's Richest. Here we tell stories that don't appear on TV. New episodes every day, subscribe, it's free. Let's understand from the start another layer of Yusuff Ali's childhood, which few people know. In Nattika village, a small house behind his father's small
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shop, very simple. No regular electricity, no proper water supply, but one special thing: every night at home, his father would gather the children and tell them business stories. "Son, doing business is no ordinary job." "Customers are like God; if you
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give them respect, God will provide for you." This thought settled very deeply in Yusuff Ali's mind. 50 years later, when millions of customers visit hundreds of Lulu hypermarkets daily, Yusuff Ali teaches his employees exactly this. Every customer is God;
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money later, service first—a generational business legacy. There is also a very sweet story about Yusuff Ali's marriage. 1980, Yusuff Ali was establishing a small business in Abu Dhabi. One day, his father called from the Gulf. "Son, you are of marriageable
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age." "We have found a good girl, Shabira." Come to India once, let's meet. Yusuff Ali came to India, met Shabira, it was love at first sight; they married, and Shabira moved to Abu Dhabi with her husband. But it was a
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difficult situation; Shabira had no family in Abu Dhabi, didn't know the language, and the customs were different. Yet Shabira showed immense courage, slowly learned Arabic, formed a small community of Malayali women, and stood by Yusuff Ali through every
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business challenge. A very strong family unit. Then, a very special aspect: Lulu’s business style. Yusuff Ali never hired any expensive international consultants. No McKinsey, no BCG. Everything was based on his own instincts and his own experience. And this is a very Indian business style
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because he worked on the ground. He stood in the store, spoke to customers himself, so every decision was based on real understanding, and perhaps that became his greatest strength. A very touching story about employees. Lulu has over 500,000 employees, mostly
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Indians, primarily from Kerala. Once, a young boy came from Kerala. His name was Vinod, from a very humble family.
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Yusuff Ali interviewed him personally. He asked, "What do you want to do?" Vinod said, "Sir, I don't know anything, but I will learn everything." Yusuff Ali smiled—that was the right answer.
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Today, 20 years later, Vinod is a manager of a large Lulu region, and there are hundreds of such stories.
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Lulu has given thousands of ordinary Indians a chance to change their lives. A very humane business culture. 1955, Nattika, a small coastal village in Kerala’s Thrissur district. An ordinary Muslim family; his father, Mohammad Abdul Kader, was a respected
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merchant, but not a large-scale one—he ran a small business. Many siblings at home, and Yusuff Ali was one of them. His childhood was very simple; school in a nearby village, then high school in Thrissur. But there was something
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special: Yusuff Ali was very bright in studies in every subject, and most importantly, in practical wisdom. His father often made him sit at his small shop, saying, "Son, learn business; it is our family tradition." From a young age, how did Yusuff Ali handle
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customers? How were the accounts maintained? He learned it all, but the business in the Kerala village was very limited. He had bigger dreams, and in the 1970s, a new wave swept through Kerala—a massive oil discovery in the Gulf countries and millions of jobs
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opening up there. Malayali youth started going there first. Some as laborers, some as engineers, some as nurses, some as drivers. A huge wave, and many of Yusuff Ali’s own relatives were in the Gulf. An uncle of his ran a small business in Abu Dhabi.
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Importing and exporting goods. One day, the uncle wrote a letter to the father, "Brother, my business is growing." "But I need some help." "It would be great if you could send Yusuf here." Yusuf Ali was just 18 at the time. His father
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asked, "Son, will you go?" Yusuf Ali said yes. 1973, Abu Dhabi, the uncle's business was very small—a tiny office, a small warehouse. For Yusuf Ali, it was hard work from day one. Going into the warehouse and counting huge boxes.
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Delivering goods to the customers. Paperwork, accounts, salary—everything was very basic. Living quarters? A small room right above the warehouse. Cooking his own food. A tough start, but Yusuf Ali never complained. He would ask his uncle every day, "What else can I learn?"
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"What work is left?" The uncle was impressed. "This boy is very special." Within two years, Yusuf Ali understood the entire business. Where the goods came from. Why Indian customers liked them. What rules the Gulf governments set. In the late 1970s, Yusuf Ali had a
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major realization. Millions of Indians in Abu Dhabi—Malayalis, Tamils, Telugus, Punjabis. Everyone wanted home-cooked food. Everyone wanted home products. Indian spices, Indian rice, Indian clothes, but no big Indian store in Abu Dhabi. Only small shops everywhere; a huge business opportunity.
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Yusuf Ali talked to his uncle. "Uncle, let's open a big store." "For Indian goods, for the entire community." The uncle hesitated a bit, but then agreed.
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1980, the first Lulu store in Abu Dhabi. Why the name Lulu? In Arabic, it means pearl; very clean, very beautiful. And this first store of Yusuf Ali became popular very quickly, because for the first time, a Malayali
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housewife in Abu Dhabi could find everything in one place—rice, lentils, spices, Indian sweets, even Indian newspapers. A huge success! Within three years, three more stores in Abu Dhabi. In the 1990s, Lulu's rapid expansion across the UAE—Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, then outside to Qatar,
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Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia; one by one, Lulu across the entire Gulf. But one very special thing: Yusuf Ali didn't stick to the simple shop model; he introduced a new model, the hypermarket—meaning one huge store containing groceries, clothes,
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electronics, toys, medicine, everything. This model already existed in Europe and America, but no one had it in the Gulf, and Yusuf Ali brought it first. A huge advantage to the hypermarket. When a customer came, they bought everything
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at once. Time saved, money saved, and a great benefit for the company too. One location, low overhead, high sales. A very intelligent business model. By the 2000s, over 70 Lulu Hypermarkets across the Gulf, each one massive and bustling.
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Another key strategy of Yusuff Ali: excellent relations with Gulf governments and personal ties with Arab royalty, because doing business there is difficult without government approval. Yusuff Ali
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relationship. Then, a major decision in 2013: Yusuff Ali said, "My homeland is India, my village is Kerala; now I must do something there too." The first Lulu Mall in Kochi, an investment of nearly ₹ 2000 crore. The largest shopping
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mall in all of Kerala, a massive building with hundreds of shops, restaurants, cinemas, and kids 'zones; millions of Keralites visited on the first day, causing a media stir—a Dubai-like mall in Kerala, a huge achievement. After Kochi, then Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, Bangalore,
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Hyderabad. One by one, Lulu Malls across all of India, today. Over five major Lulu Malls in India and many more planned; the Lucknow Lulu Mall is among the largest in all of North India.
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Millions of people every week! An Indian who went to the Gulf and returned to invest heavily in his own country—a very inspiring story. Wait, one very important point: Yusuff Ali is also highly respected by the Indian government. Padma Shri in 2008,
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followed by investor awards in several states. Personal relationships with many of Kerala's Chief Ministers and ministers, and Yusuff Ali's significant contribution to India. Donations to many religious sites, schools, and hospitals in Kerala—a very humanitarian personality. 2024, a very
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big day: Lulu Retail listed on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange. Huge interest in the IPO from global investors, and Yusuff Ali's personal net worth is nearly 6 to 8 billion dollars. A truly great Indian business legacy! Yusuff Ali holds a very special position in
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the Gulf, with personal ties to Arab Sheikhs; personal friendships with Abu Dhabi's ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, members of Qatar’s royal family, and some of Saudi Arabia's wealthiest. But Yusuff Ali never misused this access; he remained humble and respected—that
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is his greatest asset. Because business in the Gulf is tough if the government doesn't know you, but easy if you are respected; a truly strategic personality. Then another fun story, once Sheikh Mohammed of Abu Dhabi called Yusuff Ali to his palace and
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asked, "Yusuff, your business is growing a lot, but tell me one thing, you are Indian and a Muslim, so why are you more successful than the Arab Muslims here?" Yusuff Ali smiled, " Sheikh Sahab, just one principle: never
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be ashamed of hard work and never deceive a customer." The Sheikh said, " That is exactly what needs to be learned." And the following week, the Sheikh gave Yusuff Ali a contract for a huge mall. A business relationship
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based on immense trust. Yusuff Ali has another very special approach in India. Whenever there is a flood or any tragedy in Kerala, Yusuff Ali provides immediate help. In the 2018 Kerala floods, he donated over ₹ 100 million . He used his company's entire network
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for relief supplies. Thousands of boxes went to affected areas in Kerala, all without any publicity. A truly genuine display of humanity. Then there is another small thing that few people know. Some of Yusuff Ali's major personal investments, besides Lulu,
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include a huge stake in Quilon Airport. A significant share in Kerala's Kochi Airport. Investments in two or three Indian banks and also in a very special oil and gas company. A very diverse investment portfolio, but the biggest remains Lulu. Wait, one more very
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important point! With over 200 hypermarkets in the Gulf, Lulu faces a major challenge. Over the last 5 years, many Gulf countries are promoting their own retail brands, like Panda and BinDawood in Saudi Arabia, and Carrefour in the UAE. For Lulu, this is
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intense competition, but Yusuff Ali turned it into an opportunity by expanding into new regions like Africa, Egypt, Yemen, and even some small stores in Europe. A very strategic response. Today, another special identity of Lulu is its food. Lulu
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offers not just Indian food, but also Arabic, Filipino, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and African cuisine, catering to all expat communities in the Middle East—a rare retail identity globally. An Indian brought together such diverse expat communities from around the world under
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one roof. A matter of great pride; here are some statistics for the Lulu Group in 2025. Over 200 hypermarkets across the Gulf. More than 5 malls in India and over 70,000 employees. Annual revenue of about 50 to 60,000 crore,
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making Yusuff Ali one of India’s top NRI businessmen. You see, this story teaches many lessons. First, a deep understanding of an unfamiliar market; Yusuff Ali was an outsider in Abu Dhabi . But he deeply understood the needs of
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the Indian diaspora in the Gulf and built a massive business based on that. If you want to start a business anywhere, first understand your customer deeply. Second, big opportunities are born from small beginnings. Yusuff Ali did not start a
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massive business on day one. He just picked up goods in his uncle's warehouse, but he took every task very seriously, and this small start became a vast empire 50 years later. Third, giving back to your homeland. Many Indians become successful abroad and
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forget India. But not Yusuff Ali; he is constantly investing heavily in Kerala and India, a very humane business style . Another special thing about Yusuff Ali. His wife, Shabira, a very strong woman, has been with him his whole life
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. Three daughters, all well-educated, all involved in the business. The eldest daughter, Shafeena, holds a very high position at Lulu. An Indian Muslim family that gave its daughters full participation, a very progressive style . A very famous incident: in 2015,
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Yusuff Ali was involved in a helicopter crash while delivering aid to flood victims in Kerala. The helicopter crashed, but Yusuff Ali wasn't badly hurt and said, "Help the victims first, worry about me later." This incident became very popular throughout Kerala.
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A very humane moment; today, Yusuff Ali is nearly 70 years old. But he is still fully involved in the business. Office every day, new decisions every week, and his nephews represent the next generation. They are being prepared very quickly. A truly magnificent
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generational continuity. Wait, a comparison. In the last episode, we looked at Mohan Singh Oberoi. Who built a hotel empire in India. Today, Yusuff Ali, who built a retail empire abroad.
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One very special thing in both. Both left their mark in industries where very few Indians were involved before.
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One Indian who stood before the world in the hotel industry. Another Indian who became the master of retail across the Gulf. A very powerful Indian business identity; today, about 20 million Indians work in the Gulf, and almost every one of them has visited a
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Lulu store at some point. An Indian business company that fulfills the daily needs of the entire migrant community; a very deep impact. Yusuff Ali's personal lifestyle is very calm, very humble. A very simple home, no great luxury, but he has a passion for
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one thing: cars. Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes; a very magnificent collection . But he says, "This is my only hobby; everything else is simple." About the future of Lulu: over 10 new malls in India in the next 5 years and about 50
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more hypermarkets in the Gulf, then Africa and Europe, preparing to become a massive world-class retail empire.
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Today in 2025, Yusuff Ali is still very active; he is gradually handing over responsibilities to his son and nephews . His eldest nephew, Shamsheer Vayalil, holds a very high position in the company; his daughter Shafeena, and another niece, all hold different roles
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within the company. A brilliant family arrangement, because in the last episode we saw how the Singh brothers of Ranbaxy fought. How rifts appeared between Bhatia and Gangwal of Indigo, but there is no such issue in Lulu yet because Yusuff Ali thoughtfully gave
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everyone their place. A very intelligent generational plan. Some special plans regarding the future of Lulu. Over 10 new malls in India in the next 5 years in Ahmedabad, Pune, Indore , Jaipur, Chandigarh, and new hypermarkets in the Gulf. Then a very
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big dream, in Europe. The first Lulu in London, and perhaps some in Paris. Because there are millions of Indian expatriates in Europe too, and they will find retail familiar to them. A dream of massive expansion. Another very special thing about Yusuff Ali. In
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the last 50 years, a huge portion of whatever he earned in his company, he reinvested back into the business.
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Personal luxury is very limited. The house is big but not excessive. No private jets. Just a few good cars, and this is the reason for his greatest success. Because those businessmen who invest their money back into the business rather than in a luxurious
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personal lifestyle. They can carry their company forward for generations. Today, a very important point: whenever anyone in India thinks of going abroad, they think of Dubai and the Gulf first.
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Why? Because Indians have strong economic roots there, and the biggest name behind those strong roots is Yusuff Ali. Because when an Indian arrives in the Gulf for the first time, where do they find a home-like environment? At Lulu. Food items,
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Indian spices, Malayalam newspapers, Tamil magazines; an Indian built a home for Indians in the Gulf. A very deep impact, and in the end, a very important thought. Yusuff Ali's story is not just about money. It is the story of the Indian diaspora. Millions
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of Indians who went abroad, worked hard , and earned money. But some never forgot their homeland, and among the biggest names in them is Yusuff Ali. If someone in your family is in the Gulf, America, or Australia, then perhaps
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this story will touch you deeply. Because every Indian migrant has a similar story. Small beginnings, hard work, and one day, something big. Have you ever visited a LuLu Mall or a LuLu Hypermarket? Next time, just think, you are part of a huge Indian business
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story that started in a small village in Kerala and is now across the Gulf, India, and the world! Write in the comments below, have you ever been to a LuLu? Where? How was the experience?
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And in your opinion, who is the most inspiring business name from the Indian diaspora? It will be a very interesting conversation. If you are here for the first time, press the button below to subscribe. A new Indian story every day
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. We will meet again tomorrow on India's Richest, until then keep me in your prayers.
Topics:Yusuff AliLulu GroupLulu MallKeralaAbu DhabiGulf businessIndian retail empirehypermarketIndian diasporabusiness success story
