GEMS Education Creates Scholarship to Honour Indian Teacher Anjana Sanalkumar's 33-Year Legacy
Dubai's Indian expat community mourns the loss of a beloved educator as GEMS Education pays tribute to Anjana Sanalkumar, an Indian teacher who dedicated 33 years to The Westminster School, by establishing a scholarship in her name, while Indian fragrance company AARAV makes its Beautyworld Dubai debut and announces plans to open a permanent UAE office.
GEMS Announces Anjana Sanalkumar Memorial Scholarship After Teacher's Passing
Anjana Sanalkumar, an Indian expat teacher at The Westminster School in Dubai, has passed away after 33 years of dedicated service with GEMS Education. She also worked as an examination officer at the school and is remembered as a much-loved member of the GEMS family. The news was shared with the GEMS community through a letter from Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer of GEMS Education, a copy of which was seen by Gulf News and reported on October 7, 2026. Varkey described Sanalkumar as having dedicated an extraordinary 33 years of her life to GEMS and to education. He wrote that over more than three decades, she taught, guided and inspired generations of students while building lasting friendships and relationships with colleagues that extended far beyond the classroom. Varkey described her passing as a profound loss for her family, friends and the entire Westminster School community, adding that GEMS would support her family and colleagues in every way possible. GEMS announced plans to establish the Anjana Sanalkumar Memorial Scholarship at The Westminster School, with further details to be shared with the community in due course. Varkey called the scholarship a fitting tribute, writing that for an educator, there can be no more appropriate legacy. The date, cause and place of Sanalkumar's death were not disclosed in the report. [2]
🏢 Indian Fragrance House AARAV Plans Dubai Office After Beautyworld Debut
Indian fragrance company AARAV participated in Beautyworld Dubai 2026, bringing what the company describes as Indian fragrance expertise to the international beauty trade event, and simultaneously announced plans to open a Dubai office. The announcement was reported by Roastbrief US on October 5, 2026. Ajit Vaze, a key figure at AARAV, was scheduled to join a panel of global fragrance industry leaders for a session titled Global Scent: How Perfumery Is Going Multicultural. AARAV was also named as the company powering the Perfumers' Playbook Workshop at Beautyworld Dubai 2026. The dual presence at the event — through a featured panel appearance and a sponsored workshop — positions the company as a representative of Indian perfumery on the global stage. The planned Dubai office would establish AARAV's first permanent presence outside India and marks the company's intent to expand into the UAE market directly. Beautyworld Dubai is a major international trade event for the beauty and fragrance industry, making AARAV's participation and planned expansion a notable development for the Indian fragrance sector. [1]
🍛 TresInd Studio Retains Recognition at Dubai Michelin Awards
TresInd Studio, a modern Indian restaurant in Dubai, has retained its recognition at the Dubai Michelin awards, according to a report in The Hindu. The publication reported that TresInd Studio keeps modern Indian dining flying high at the Dubai Michelin awards, indicating the restaurant has once again secured its place at the annual ceremony that recognises outstanding restaurants in the emirate. The Michelin recognition marks another successful year for the modern Indian dining segment in Dubai, with TresInd Studio continuing to represent contemporary Indian cuisine at an internationally recognised level. The Hindu's coverage of the award highlights the restaurant's sustained standing within Dubai's competitive fine dining scene and the growing profile of modern Indian cuisine on the global stage. [3]
Sources: [2] Gulf News · [1] Roastbrief US · [3] The Hindu