Born in 1948 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Surender Singh Kandhari completed his education in Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai, after which he joined his family business in Hyderabad in 1969.

“Our family business had its roots firmly planted in Vijayawada. My father’s pioneering efforts in establishing the city’s first automotive spare parts venture were instrumental for future developments,” says Kandhari.

An exploratory four-day visit to Dubai in 1975 led to Khandari starting Al Dobowi Group, a tyre business, in Deira. The name Al Dobowi, which means ‘the man from Dubai’ in Arabic, was given to him by a Dubai municipality, “We aimed to explore new opportunities within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) GCC region. This strategic relocation enabled us to diversify our operations and cater to a wider audience within the GCC market. It was a pivotal moment that shaped our future trajectory,” says a Dubai Municipality official.

Family-owned Al Dobowi deals with various facets of tyre management solutions, from research and design to manufacturing and distribution, as well as retail and service. The group has also established itself as the largest battery manufacturer in the region.

Al Dobowi’s growth has been propelled by substantial partnerships with some of the world’s renowned tyre brands. This strategic collaboration has enabled the group to become a large tyre distribution company globally.

“Luckily, modernisation was in full steam and the not-so-super roads back then made our business grow exponentially. With massive construction and upgradation of roads and large-scale movement of vehicles, tyres became an integral part of the whole development and Al Dobowi was well placed to make the best use of this opportunity,” adds Kandhari.

Today, Al Dobowi offers a range of value-added products and services designed to enhance the performance and lifespan of tyres and automotive systems. These include tyre management solutions, retreading services, and fleet management support, all aimed at reducing operational costs and improving efficiency for their clients. The company also provides customised solutions for specific industry needs, ensuring that their products and services align with the latest technological advancements and customer requirements.

Kandhari also started his own brand of tyre, Infinity Tyres based in West Africa. Founded 40 years ago, Infinity Group established itself as a popular company for automotive aftermarket products, in Nigeria. The group has made inroads into Ghana and the west African region.

At the age of eight, Surender Singh Kandhari was encouraged by his grandfather, Atma Singh, to carry on the family tradition of building a Gurudwara.

Thirteen years ago, he began the process of establishing a gurudwara in Dubai for the Sikh community to gather and worship. In 2008, permission was granted for the construction of the gurudwara on a 25,000 sq.ft. land in Jebel Ali Gardens.

Completed in 2012, with funds raised from the Sikh and Sindhi communities of the United Arab Emirates, the gurudwara now serves thousands daily and has offered langar to over 9 million visitors since its inauguration. – editor@nrifocus.com