Dr Sana Sajan has worn many hats in her life, from doctor to entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mother, but at the heart of her journey is one central belief – that women’s empowerment is most meaningful when it is shared. As a mum of three who is married to Adel Sajan, the son of Rizwan Sajan, founder of the Danube Group, one of India’s most successful business dynasties, she could easily have settled into comfort. But today, she continues to carve a path defined by her desire to bring opportunities to the women and children who need them most.

Born into a family of doctors and literature laureates, Sajan grew up with a mindset that her life should be used to make a difference. “When I was around 10 years old, I remember asking my uncle why I had thoughts that I wanted to change the world or make it a better place. And he answered me with a question. He said, ‘Were you born a cow or a buffalo? You were born as the highest creation of God, and that’s why you bring the best out of life.” It was a lesson that shaped her philosophy to never limit herself and to use her privilege to uplift others.

Her early years in medicine were rooted in this same calling. Inspired by her father, a doctor whose joy came from healing, Dr Sajan pursued medicine so she too could help people. 

“Even while I was studying, I used to use my money to help patients who could not afford the treatment they needed,” she recalls. That drive to make a difference grew with her, later taking form in ventures like American Aesthetics, a multi-speciality aesthetics and plastic surgery centre she built and successfully ran for eight years before selling it.

Her definition of empowerment goes far beyond her own achievements. “People like me are already empowered. But for me, it holds more weight when I share my empowerment with women who are really in need of it,” she says. “There are so many ways we can share our strengths with other people. That’s my real definition of empowerment – when I can help other people.”

Today, Dr Sajan is focusing her energy on projects that directly affect women and children. One of her most ambitious dreams is the creation of a boarding school for children of working mothers in the UAE, particularly women working as nannies and caregivers, who are forced to leave their children behind in their home countries. “My nannies are amazing,” she says. “I’m able to work and support my family because of them. But they’ve left their children back home, and they cannot afford to bring them here. I really want to create a boarding school for children that’s affordable, so they don’t have to be separated.”

This initiative is more than education. It is about healing one of the deepest sacrifices mothers make. “Because I am a mother myself, I can imagine what it takes for a mother to tear her heart apart and leave the children back home, and also for the children not to grow up with their mums,” she says. “It breaks my heart.”

As she continues to explore projects in education, women’s skill development in India, and strategic investments with her husband and father-in-law, Dr Sana Sajan remains guided by her belief that empowerment multiplies when it is shared. 

Her advice to women is simple yet powerful. “Never stop dreaming, no matter how impossible your dream may seem. Just like water, you will find a way.”