Nearly six decades ago, a young boy with nothing but the burning ambition to succeed arrived on the shores of the then Trucial States. He had already endured much hardship, having taken upon his young shoulders much of his family’s responsibility.

Perhaps this ardent love for family – in his own words ‘for the family forever’ – must have been the entrepreneurial capital for Dr. Ram Buxani (Ph.D., D.Litt.), Chairman of ITL Cosmos Group.

With die-hard enthusiasm and an iron will, a young Buxani created an inspiring success story. Dr. Buxani inspires people with his rags-to-riches tale that can inspire a Hollywood thriller. He has played a key role in the growth of the ITL Cosmos Group rising from being an office assistant in 1959 to Chairman in 2014.

Dr. Buxani’s name is synonymous with an immense grit and determination, a quality requisite to succeed in the competitive city of Dubai. His achievements read like a credits scene of a movie with him having a hand in literally every aspect of the development of the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He is the Founder Chairman of the Overseas Indians Economic Forum, a highly reputed Non-Residential Indian (NRI) organisation which subsequently merged with the Indian Business & Professional Council (IBPC). In the year 1983, he received a Shield of Honour from the late Shri Giani Zail Singh, the seventh President of India for his contributions to the NRI community and expat diaspora.

Dr. Buxani’s involvement extends to institutions like the India Club, Dubai, of which he served as Chairman from 2012 - 2015. He earlier chaired the Club from 1990 – 1994. He is on the Board of Trustees of both organizations. He was also Chairman of the Indian High School, Dubai from 2000 - 2004. He is a board member of Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities. He is also Senior Vice President of BLF (Business Leaders Forum), a joint initiative of India Diplomatic Mission in UAE and the Ministry of Economy, UAE, Vice Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – UAE Commission on Customs & Trade Facilitation Steering Committee and is involved with various other charitable and voluntary organizations including the Rotary Club of Jumeirah.

In 2004, Dr. Buxani was conferred a doctorate degree by the Washington International University for his thesis ‘Governance of Dubai: The influence of tribal tradition in decision making, especially in the critical periods of the development of the city-state’. In 2015, Dr. Buxani was also conferred with a honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by the D.Y. Patil University, India.