Top 10 Malayali Entrepreneurs Shaping Dubai in 2025
Arun Krishnan
Business Editor
From real estate moguls to tech disruptors, these Malayali visionaries are transforming the UAE business landscape.
The Malayali community in the UAE has long been recognised as one of the most entrepreneurially driven diaspora groups in the world. With over 1.2 million Keralites calling the UAE home, the economic footprint of this community spans virtually every sector — from construction and healthcare to technology and retail.
In 2025, as Dubai continues its ambitious growth trajectory toward Expo-era legacies and beyond, Malayali entrepreneurs are not just participating — they are leading the charge. This list highlights ten individuals whose businesses, vision, and community impact have set them apart.
1. Ravi Menon — Founder, GreenBuild Constructions
Starting with a single labour contract in 1995, Ravi Menon built GreenBuild into a AED 400 million turnover construction conglomerate. His recent pivot to sustainable building practices has won contracts with Dubai Municipality for eco-housing projects.
2. Divya Nair — CEO, HealthFirst Clinics
With 14 clinics across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Divya Nair has democratised affordable healthcare for the South Asian community. Her tele-health platform launched in 2024 now serves over 80,000 patients monthly.
3. Santhosh Paul — Co-Founder, Finova Technologies
Having previously built and sold a fintech startup to a regional bank, Santhosh's second venture Finova is disrupting remittance services with AI-powered exchange rate prediction — particularly relevant to the millions of Indians sending money home.
4. Lekha Thomas — Owner, Spice Routes Hospitality
From one restaurant in Deira in 2008 to a 12-venue fine-dining group, Lekha Thomas has redefined what Kerala cuisine can mean in a cosmopolitan city. Her flagship restaurant Tharavadu has a 3-month waiting list.
5. Ajith Kumar — Managing Director, Gulf Freight Logistics
Building on deep expertise in the shipping sector, Ajith's GFL now handles 8% of all small-parcel logistics between India and UAE. The company's same-day Dubai–Abu Dhabi corridor is now a benchmark for the industry.
The remaining five entrepreneurs on this list — spanning education, beauty, real estate technology, legal services, and renewable energy — represent the full breadth of Malayali enterprise in 2025.
What unites all ten is not just commercial success, but a visible commitment to community. Each of these entrepreneurs invests significantly in scholarships, cultural organisations, and employment opportunities for new arrivals from Kerala.
As Dubai looks to the next decade, there is little doubt that the Malayali community will continue to punch far above its demographic weight — not just sustaining the UAE's economic engine, but quietly reimagining it.
Comments (67)
Excellent article! Really inspiring to see how far our community has come in Dubai. The Ravi Menon story is particularly amazing.
Would have loved to see more women entrepreneurs featured. The healthcare and hospitality mentions are great but there are many more!
This brought tears to my eyes. 30 years of hard work by our elders made all of this possible. Proud to be Malayali.
Arun Krishnan
Business Editor · MalayaliBusiness.com