Alongside Dubai’s celebrated reputation for style and luxury, a new chapter is unfolding. These women entrepreneurs are building brands with substance, rooted in heritage, driven by purpose, and offering creations that resonate beyond aesthetics.

The Soul Driven Shift
We’re witnessing a massive cultural shift toward soul-driven” living, one where meaning and authenticity matter as much as beauty and design. Today’s conscious consumers want brands that tell stories, honor traditions, and create genuine connections.
Dubai has become the perfect breeding ground for this revolution. The city’s unique position as a cultural crossroads means entrepreneurs can honor their Indian roots while building for global markets. The multicultural audience provides instant feedback and validation, while the business-friendly environment lets creativity flourish without bureaucratic roadblocks.
Dubai’s strong Indian diaspora creates a built-in community that understands the cultural nuances, appreciates the heritage references, and supports brands that reflect its values.

Meet the Founders

1. Eisha Kalinani (E3K)
The Spark: Picture this. You’re working crazy hours in the media, running from meeting to meeting, and you need jewellery that works as hard as you do. That’s exactly where Eisha found herself when she started sketching minimal pieces that could transition seamlessly from day to night.

What Sets It Apart: E3K isn’t just about looking good; it’s about feeling unencumbered. “We create jewelry that makes you feel beautiful without feeling burdened. Effortless, elegant, and accessible,” Eisha explains. Every piece is designed with thoughtful weight and high quality 18k gold plating that can handle your busiest days.
The Dubai Connection: For Eisha, this city isn’t just a business location. It’s been home for over two decades. “Dubai has given me endless opportunities, lifelong friendships, and a vibrant community that continues to inspire me,” she says.

2. Farhana Bodi (FAYORE)
The Spark: Building a brand while juggling motherhood, international travel, and content creation sounds impossible, but Farhana turned that chaos into creative fuel. Drawing from her multicultural background spanning India, South Africa, and Dubai, she created pieces for women who refuse to blend in.

What Sets It Apart: FAYORE creates resort glam pieces that don’t just complement a destination. They command it. “Every piece carries my signature aesthetic. Dramatic, elevated, and made for women who live as the main character in their own story.”
The Dubai Connection: After living in different cities, Dubai felt like destiny. “On my first visit, I connected instantly with the city’s energy, ambition, and possibilities. It felt like the right place to challenge myself and grow.”

3. Mamta Nihalini (Apothecary by Mamta)
The Spark: Sometimes the best businesses come from the simplest beliefs. For Mamta, it was the conviction that natural ingredients are the only way to truly care for our bodies. Her brand combines self-taught Ayurvedic knowledge with family recipes passed down through generations.

What Sets It Apart: This isn’t just about natural beauty. It’s about honoring ancestral wisdom. “I combined my mother’s and grandmother’s beauty recipes, using only the purest, finest ingredients and essential oils to create this line of apothecary, intended to feed the mind, body, and soul.”
The Dubai Connection: Mamta’s story carries a beautiful generational thread. Her father started an advertising agency in Dubai in the 70s, and the family never left. “You can say I am a Dubai girl through and through. This is truly our home.”

4. Malini Ohri (SAANTÉ)
The Spark: Some brands have decades long origin stories. SAANTÉ began when its founder started learning beauty secrets at 16 as Shahnaz Husain’s student. After years in the industry, becoming a Reiki Master, and accumulating deep wellness knowledge, her daughter, Mishti, convinced her to bottle that expertise.

What Sets It Apart: This is generational knowledge in modern packaging. “Today, with Mishti’s vision and leadership, Saanté has grown from a homegrown brand into a widely recognized name in clean beauty, blending ancient wisdom with modern ritual.”
The Dubai Connection: After 42 years in Dubai, the connection runs deep. “I’ve always believed that Dubai offers the best of both East and West. Deeply rooted in tradition, yet open to innovation. It’s a safe, vibrant city that’s close to India—but over time, UAE became my first home, while India became my second. Dubai didn’t just give me a place to live—it gave me the space to thrive. “

5. Nidhi & Rashi Sethi (Skin Story)
The Spark: Two sisters, two completely different skin types, and zero products that worked for either of them. Sounds familiar? Nidhi and Rashi Sethi turned their personal frustration into a mission to create clean beauty for all skin tones.

What Sets It Apart: While one sister dealt with sensitivity and allergies, the other struggled to find the right shade match. “Skin Story is for women with all skin tones looking for non-toxic beauty products. We want to make sure all women can experience the benefit of clean beauty.”
The Dubai Connection: With over 30 years in the UAE, the sisters consider it their only home. “We have grown up here, been to school here, and came back right after university to work here. This is home.”

6. Sophiya Faizal (Paus)
The Spark: In a world obsessed with optimization and productivity, Sophiya saw a gaping hole. Where could people just exist without pressure to perform? Her own healing journey revealed the power of integrated wellness, but she noticed something troubling: “In our culture, vulnerability is often taboo.”

What Sets It Apart: Paus operates on an intentional framework called Love, Health, Work, and Play. It’s not about escaping life but learning to live it more fully. “At its core, Paus isn’t about escaping life. It’s about learning how to live it. More fully, more honestly, and more together.”
The Dubai Connection: As a third culture kid raised in Dubai with Indian roots, Sophiya found the city perfectly positioned for her vision. “Dubai holds both the familiarity of my upbringing and the warmth of a region that feels open to new ideas.”

The Future of Thoughtful Living – These women represent something much bigger than individual success stories. They’re proof that the future of lifestyle isn’t about having more. It’s about choosing better. Their brands succeed because they understand that modern consumers, especially women, want products and experiences that align with their values, honor their heritage, and make them feel genuinely good about their choices. They’re not just selling products; they’re selling a better way of living. Together, they embody the future of Dubai’s lifestyle space: thoughtful, heritage rich, globally minded, and unapologetically authentic. And honestly? The future looks pretty incredible from here.