PRAVEEN SHETTY

'Fortunes of a hotelier whose motto is philanthropy'

Vakawady Praveen Kumar Shetty, the chairman of the Fortune Group of hotels in UAE, has an incredible growth story. The 55-year-old business magnate ventured into the hotel industry in 2001 and today he has 10 star hotels – 8 of them in Dubai and Fujairah -- employing around 5000 people. In his 22 years at the helm of Fortune, he has risen to be the patron of the Karnataka Sangha in the UAE; the President of Karnataka NRI Forum; and the only Asian member of the Chamber of Commerce in Georgia.

Mr Shetty, the son of former government servant Narayana Shetty and homemaker Sarojini, is a native of Udupi, Karnataka. He graduated in science from Bhandarkar College in Kundapura before leaving India’s shores to try his fortune in Dubai.

A bouquet of three- and four-star hotels across Dubai and deluxe hotel apartments have emerged from his astute vision and dynamic leadership of Fortune Group.

'The group has registered such commendable performance in two decades that it won the Best Company of the Year 2018 – Hospitality & Leisure at India-UAE Business Summits & Awards.'

In 2020, the young business magnate opened the four-star Fortune Atrium hotel in Bur Dubai which was inaugurated by Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai.

But Mr. Shetty is not just an entrepreneur who turned lucky and is resting on his laurels. He is a philanthropist and social worker who makes it his life mission to return to society what he has gained from it. He ensures that no Kannadiga suffers in a foreign land on account of job loss or job scams by agents; he either accommodates them in his hotel chain after training them or helps them find other opportunities or if they prefer it, a ticket back home. It also explains why 80% of his hotel staff are from Karnataka.

The hotelier philanthropist has wholeheartedly aided the development of his hometown Vakawady and other parts of the state. He has donated buildings for the post office; bus shelter; and the Karnataka Dairy Corporation in Vakawady.

He also donated a vehicle for the local government school to transport schoolchildren who otherwise had to walk several kilometers to reach school.

He is President of the Endowment Committee of the Mahalingeshwara Temple in Vakawady which he built single-handedly for his hometown. Blood donation camps have also been organised in Vakawady.

Praveen Shetty has been supporting the Spoorthidharma Ashram in Kundapura to improve the welfare of orphans and homeless senior citizens residing there. He built a stage for the State Employee Association in Mangalore and also for Spoorthidhama. His notable charitable services include providing financial aid for the marriage of poor girls, services for the blind school and Spastic Society, and drinking water coolers at Brahmavara bus stand.

Praveen Shetty has been supporting the Spoorthidharma Ashram in Kundapura to improve the welfare of orphans and homeless senior citizens residing there. He built a stage for the State Employee Association in Mangalore and also for Spoorthidhama.

'His notable charitable services include providing financial aid for the marriage of poor girls, services for the blind school and Spastic Society, and drinking water coolers at Brahmavara bus stand.'

In the UAE, he has been organising blood donation camps since 2014 including in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Shetty himself leads the drive by donating blood.  Fortune hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia was also the venue of a blood donation camp in 2019. Thanks to the efforts of Mr Shetty, the central government granted a special flight from Dubai to Mangalore as part of the Vande Bharat Mission to transport Indians desiring to return home during the pandemic. He also organised a chartered flight from Ras al Khaimah to Mangalore at his own expense to transport his employees and their families on paid leave.

Mr Shetty has received numerous awards for his meritorious service to fellow Indians. In November 2021 he was conferred the Rajyotsava Prashasti, the second highest civilian honour of Karnataka state, by then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

'He has also received among others the 2018 International Peace Award in Dubai-UAE from HMC United; Kuvempu Vishwa Manava Award and the 2021 Pangea Award, the highest international award from Georgia’s Business Chamber of Asian & Gulf Countries (BCAGC).'

He is also full-fledged President of BCAGC. In 2019, the UAE Ambassador to Georgia conferred upon him the International Award for Business Excellence and Humanitarian Contributions, instituted by Georgian Tourism and the UAE Embassy. In 2017, he was honoured at Kannada Sangha Bahrain for his service to Kannadigas in the Gulf.

Mr Shetty plays a major role in supporting the cultural activities of the Kannada community in the UAE. He is executive member of the UAE Bunts Association and advisor of Sharjah Karnataka Sangh.

Mr Shetty, whose hobbies are travelling and social work, lives in Meydan, Dubai. His wife Roopali is a homemaker. His son Param Shetty graduated in Hotel Management from Switzerland while his daughter Prachi finished her Masters in Finance & Hotel Management from Spain.