Onam: Time to cherish rich culture

Sakeer Hussain, Managing Director, Gulf Gate Hair Fixing - Middle East and India, marks the Malayalee festival with an ode to the resilient expat community in the UAE

Onam is a great occasion to strengthen ties and bring everyone together. Every year, we, at Gulf Gate Group, hold Onam celebrations throughout all our GCC and Indian branches. My family and I celebrate Onam as well, with close friends. Every year, we receive invitations to celebrate the joyous occasion by sharing the traditional Onam 'Sadhya.'

My best memories of Onam include viewing various traditional programmes, including pulikali and the boat races. I miss the unique nostalgic moments of Onam celebrations in my homeland.

Expat Keralites and their contributions
A significant percentage of our customer-mix hail from Kerala. Keralites are known for sheer friendliness. They are also very vocal about sharing their experiences on any products. In our business model, marketing by word-of-mouth is very important and creates major impact. Keralites have accepted us wholeheartedly and I'm always obliged for their support.

Commitment to society
Kerala accounts for 2.8 per cent of India's population, but its economy contributes 4 per cent to the Indian economy, largely via remittance. Keralites are passionate about growth and their great skill of adaptability has resulted in such growth.

As a responsible citizen, I'm committed towards giving back to society, and we always keep Kerala as our priority when it comes to recruiting people or charity contributions. Our contribution towards the 2018 Kerala Flood is one such example.

• Supplements