Tony Jashanmal

Tony Jashanmal is a long-time UAE-based business leader and a third-generation member of the family behind the Jashanmal Group, one of the oldest retail and distribution houses in the Gulf. Born in Kuwait in 1947 and an Indian national, he joined the family business in 1971 and has held senior roles ever since; recent profiles list him as the group’s President, while earlier profiles cited him as executive director.

The Jashanmal Group was founded in 1919 by Rao Sahib Jashanmal, who opened its first store in Basra, Iraq. The company expanded into Kuwait in the 1930s, into Bahrain around 1935, and into the UAE from 1956, growing into a major retail, wholesale and distribution business across the GCC and India. It represents more than 100 international brands and has helped introduce names such as Marks & Spencer, H&M, Tiffany & Co. and Lego to the Middle East.

Tony Jashanmal is widely credited with rebuilding the group’s Kuwait operations after the Gulf War and with driving its expansion into India through joint ventures. He has appeared repeatedly on Arabian Business’s Indian Power List and was featured in Entrepreneur Middle East’s 2025 “Indian Visionaries” edition, which profiles him as a steward of a century-old regional retail institution.

This profile is an independent editorial compilation drawn from the public record — official company and government sources, national honours, and established news coverage. Inclusion is an editorial selection by this journal; it is not an official state honour and is not a comment on anyone’s private affairs or tax matters. Corrections: admin@federaltaxauthority.org.

Part of Recognized contributors to the UAE — this journal’s directory of Emiratis and long-serving expatriates who helped shape the country.