Arsala Khan

Shabana Faizal is among the women who have carved out a distinct identity for themselves in the world of business. She is the co-founder and Vice Chairperson of Singapore-based KEF Holdings. Alongside her business responsibilities, she is also involved in education, healthcare and social welfare through the Faizal and Shabana Foundation.

Shabana joined her husband Faizal E. Kottikollon's business in 2002, and managed the Human Resources and Administrative areas while he focused on technology and production.

From this point they moved together growing the business, In 2007, they set up the ETC Community Center which led to the establishment of the Faizal & Shabana Foundation as a charitable trust which aims to leverage the business models they developed in the oil and gas sector"

In the same year, Kottikollon established KEF Holdings as the parent company for the group with the "goal to provide poorer areas of the world with the education, training and healthcare they sorely lack through the use of technology and collaboration".

In 2008, Dubai International Capital, the investment arm of the government-owned Dubai Holding  acquired a 45 percent stake in Emirates Techno Casting for $126 million

Shabana Faizal with Husband

KEF Holdings was established in the United Arab Emirates in 1995. It began as a small scrap metal trading and recycling company. Gradually, the business expanded and ventured into several different sectors.

Today, the company is known as a major business group. Alongside expanding its commercial operations, it has also focused on social initiatives. In 2014, KEF Holdings announced plans to invest more than Rs 1,500 crore in its various businesses in India.

Making Her Mark in Male-Dominated Fields

Shabana Faizal’s career journey has been quite distinctive. She worked at a steel mill at a time when very few women were employed in the sector. She also worked in data entry.

She studied psychology at St Agnes College in Mangaluru. She later pursued a diploma in fashion designing and merchandising from the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFT) in Dubai.

After marriage, she became the mother of four children, but her desire to work and explore new opportunities never faded. Even while managing her responsibilities as a mother, she wanted to build something of her own.

Shabana Faizal and Faizal E. Kottikollon with Rattan Tata

When KEF Holdings set up a large manufacturing factory in Sharjah, Shabana expressed an interest in helping with its interior design. This marked the beginning of her active involvement in her husband’s business.

She subsequently played an important role in strengthening the company’s human resources department. She believed that the biggest strength of any organisation is its employees.

She also helped establish a community centre for the company’s workforce, where all employees were provided with equal facilities. Whether someone worked on the workshop floor or held a senior position, there was no discrimination when it came to food and other amenities.

Employees were also provided training in new skills, along with lessons in English, health and hygiene.

Shabana Faizal believes that people who have the ability to contribute to society should step forward and help others. With this philosophy, she and her family initiated several social welfare programmes.

Shabana Faizal and Faizal E. Kottikollon in Australia

Through the Faizal and Shabana Foundation, a number of projects have been undertaken in education, healthcare and support for people in need.

Supporting the KE Safiya Autism Centre in Mahe, Kerala, and helping improve the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School at Nadakkavu in Kozhikode were also part of these initiatives.

When Shabana and her team began working with the government school at Nadakkavu, the institution lacked several essential facilities. The school needed better sanitation facilities, laboratories and other basic infrastructure.

The school, which had around 2,000 girl students, had only nine functioning toilets at the time. The school building and facilities were subsequently upgraded, while teachers were also provided with new training.

The transformation had an impact on the students’ education as well. Attendance increased, and examination results also improved.

Shabana believes that the needs of different parts of India vary. Therefore, a single model cannot simply be implemented across the entire country. However, if the government, private companies and local communities work together, significant changes can be brought about in the field of education.

Shabana Faizal Says, “The thought of giving something back to society has always been in our minds. We should care for people and our community. This is what gives me the greatest satisfaction. Life is full of challenges, and that is how it is. Therefore, we have to start the process of change somewhere, don’t we?”

Shabana Faizal being honoured as a philanthropist

Shabana has sometimes faced scepticism from people while working on social initiatives. However, she believes that when people see the results of good work, their trust naturally grows.

According to her, the government and private companies must work together for the development of the country. Members of society also need to play their part.

Her foundation has supported students in pursuing their education and has also contributed to medical research related to diseases such as breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Shabana Faizal’s story is an inspiration for women who want to pursue their dreams while fulfilling their family responsibilities.

She managed her family while establishing her own place in the business world and contributing to social welfare. She believes that challenges will always remain a part of life, but the process of change has to begin somewhere.

For Shabana, giving back to society is her greatest source of happiness. Her journey demonstrates that success is not merely about building a large business. True success lies in making other people’s lives better through one’s hard work.

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Shabana Faizal’s journey is a testament to the fact that business and social service can go hand in hand, and that both can be used as powerful means to bring about positive change in society.