Manohar Lahori: Developing Businesses Across Dubai’s Logistics and Industrial Property Sector
Over Five Decades, He Has Moved from Garment Manufacturing into Warehousing, Logistics and Industrial Property in Dubai.
Industries change when markets change, and sometimes the biggest decisions come from recognising that shift before it becomes impossible to ignore. I learnt that lesson through the garment business I started in Mumbai in 1974, long before I could have imagined where the journey would lead.
In 1985, I brought our operations to Dubai and established ourselves in JAFZA when much of the area was still in its early stages of development. Manufacturing taught me lessons that have stayed with me throughout my career. Quality matters, and so does keeping every commitment made to a customer.
Then the international garment trade began to change following the removal of export quotas. We had to consider how our business could respond to a market that was moving in a different direction. At the same time, Dubai was developing a growing need for logistics space. We had factories that could be converted into warehouses, giving us an opportunity to respond to that demand.
We began converting our factories into warehouses, opening a new chapter for Palmon Group. Looking back, that decision reflects how I have always approached business: remain committed to building something lasting, while staying willing to change how you build it.
“Innovation is endless because learning is limitless. However, much experience you have, there is always something you can understand better or improve.”
Seeing Opportunity in Change
The opportunity to enter warehousing came from paying attention to what was happening around us. The garment industry was changing, while Dubai was growing as a centre for trade and logistics. Businesses needed space to store goods and support their operations, and we had factories that could be adapted to meet that demand.
Having operated factories ourselves, we understood how much a business depends on the right premises. That practical experience gave us a useful foundation for entering warehousing.
I have always had confidence in Dubai. We saw a future here long before the development you see today. Moving into warehousing was another way of participating in that growth and responding to a real customer need. That move into warehousing eventually created the foundation for another important chapter in my career.
“The moment a leader believes he has all the answers, he limits the business.”
A Defining Milestone
Building and launching Manrre Logistics Fund in 2018 was one of the most significant milestones of my career. It brought together years of experience in industrial property and created a platform through which other investors could participate in the sector.
Seeing Manrre place its shares into Nasdaq Dubai’s Central Securities Depository in 2020 was a particularly proud moment. It represented an important step in the fund’s development, with greater emphasis on transparency, governance and investor confidence.
When you begin with a garment manufacturing business, you cannot predict every direction the journey will take. To see that foundation grow into an investment platform was very meaningful to me.
“I have been working for more than five decades, and I still want to learn. That curiosity keeps you moving forward.”
Why Curiosity Matters
For me, that journey has also reinforced the importance of continuing to learn. Innovation is endless because learning is limitless. However, much experience you have, there is always something you can understand better or improve.
For me, innovation begins with being willing to question how you work. Can we use this space more effectively? Can we solve a customer’s problem more efficiently? Is there a better approach that we have not yet considered?
You also have to accept that a good idea can come from somebody younger or less experienced than you. The moment a leader believes he has all the answers, he limits the business. I have been working for more than five decades, and I still want to learn. That curiosity keeps you moving forward. That curiosity also shapes how we approach our developments.
“Never be afraid to start again. You can learn new skills, enter a different industry and build from a new starting point.”
Building Higher
I am particularly proud of our new warehouse, which is 24 metres high and is nearing completion. The thinking behind it is to make better use of the land available by building vertically and creating greater storage capacity.
My willingness to keep learning also shapes how we approach our developments. I am particularly proud of our new warehouse, which is 24 metres high and is nearing completion. The thinking behind it is to make better use of the land available by building vertically and creating greater storage capacity.
A warehouse is a long-term investment. You have to consider how customers’ requirements will develop over the years and build with those needs in mind.
What gives me satisfaction is seeing us continue to improve on what we have done before. After so many years in business, I still feel excited about a new development. There is always an opportunity to build something better and more useful. That willingness to build for the future comes from experiences that go back to our early days in Dubai.
“A business earns its reputation through the commitments it keeps, particularly when keeping them takes extra effort.”
Lessons from JAFZA
Establishing ourselves in JAFZA in the early days shaped me considerably. Much of the area was still undeveloped. I remember our car breaking down and being stranded for hours, with desert around us and nobody nearby to ask for help. When I look at JAFZA today, that memory reminds me how far it has come.
Building a business there required patience and faith in what Dubai could become.
We have also managed the business through periods of regional conflict and uncertainty. Those experiences teach you that your responsibility extends to the people who depend on the company. You must remain resilient, make practical decisions and give your team confidence while being honest about the challenges.
“You build capable leaders by allowing them to lead.”
Letting Others Lead
Giving the next generation room to lead is something I have experienced within my own family. My daughter joined the business 15 years ago, and my son has been involved since he graduated. Working alongside them and watching them grow into their responsibilities has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
I value the different perspectives they bring. I may have more years of experience, but they see possibilities, understand technologies and question approaches in ways that help me keep learning too. Over the years, that has strengthened my confidence in their judgement and my trust in what they do.
For me, that trust means giving them the space to make decisions and take ownership of their work. If every suggestion has to match the way I would have done something, there is very little room for creativity. I want them to feel confident bringing their own ideas forward, including when they see things differently from me.
I am always there to share my experience and offer support. But there is a particular satisfaction in seeing your children make decisions with confidence and contribute in their own way to a business you have spent your life building. You build capable leaders by allowing them to lead.
“Experience is valuable when it helps you recognise change and respond with good judgement.”
The Principles I Follow
Giving people that responsibility also requires a willingness to accept that business journeys can change direction. Never be afraid to start again. You can learn new skills, enter a different industry and build from a new starting point. I have experienced that myself. What matters is your willingness to put in the work.
I also believe mistakes should lead to learning. People must take responsibility, understand what went wrong and use that experience to make better decisions.
Above all, I value relationships with customers. When somebody places their trust in you, you have an obligation to honour it. Sometimes that means going beyond the immediate requirement to help them solve a problem. A business earns its reputation through the commitments it keeps, particularly when keeping them takes extra effort.
“Profit is necessary for a business to survive and grow, but your purpose should be bigger than the money you hope to make.”
Listening to Customers
My commitment to customers also influences how I look at change. I stay close to our customers. They can tell you where their businesses are growing, what is becoming difficult and what they will need next. Those conversations are an important source of direction.
You then must be willing to act on what you hear. Markets change quickly, and a strategy that worked well for many years may need to evolve. Our move from garment manufacturing into warehousing taught me that very clearly.
I try to look at the situation as it is today, without allowing past success to make the decision for me. Experience is valuable when it helps you recognise change and respond with good judgement.
“The buildings matter, but so do the relationships and the people who will carry the business into its next chapter.”
Preparing for Tomorrow with AI
My approach to adapting to changing markets also applies as new technologies develop. I believe they will help businesses prepare for future needs much earlier. AI can help us examine information, recognise patterns and consider possibilities that would take much longer to assess manually.
In our field, I see opportunities to anticipate demand, improve planning and understand how buildings and resources can be used more effectively. That can help us make better decisions about what we build today for the customers of tomorrow.
Leaders will still need to exercise judgement and take responsibility for their decisions. My interest is in how these tools can help our people become better informed and better prepared. We should remain curious enough to explore them and practical enough to assess their value.
“You must remain committed to building a business while being willing to change how you do it.”
Build with Purpose
Technology and changing markets may shape how a business develops, but the reason for building it remains equally important. Be clear about why you want to build your business. What problem are you solving? Who will benefit from your work? Why does it matter to you?
Profit is necessary for a business to survive and grow, but your purpose should be bigger than the money you hope to make. Building something takes patience. There will be difficult periods, and you need a reason to continue working through them.
Think about the customers who will rely on you, the people you may employ and the contribution your business can make. When your purpose extends beyond yourself, it gives you a stronger basis for making decisions and staying committed.
“If every suggestion has to match the way I would have done something, there is very little room for creativity.”
A Legacy Which Lives On
After more than five decades in business, I have come to value the lessons that experience brings while remaining open to what comes next. I have never believed that years of experience give me the final answer to every question. Experience helps me understand risk and recognise patterns, but I must remain open to people who see things differently.
My approach is to combine what I have learned with the ideas and capabilities of the next generation. That also means being willing to change direction myself. I cannot ask others to embrace change if I am unwilling to do so.
As for legacy, I would like to leave a business that continues to grow because its people have the confidence and ability to take it forward. I would like our customers to remember that we kept our word, and our employees to feel that their contribution was respected. The buildings matter, but so do the relationships and the people who will carry the business into its next chapter.
“When your purpose extends beyond yourself, it gives you a stronger basis for making decisions and staying committed.”