Rajiv Shah
Rajiv Shah is a Rank holder Chartered Accountant with over 29 years of professional experience with Deloitte, and senior financial and management positions with Emirates National Holdings, GIC, BMS Masaood Insurance. Rajiv is currently a Board Member and Group CFO with the Eros Entertainment Group.
Rajiv has served as the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Rajiv is currently the President of the Indian Business & Professional Group, Abu Dhabi.
Rajiv actively invests in Start-Ups.
Rajiv is an author two fiction novels – FOREVER and FORBIDDEN. He has also produced an OTT Series. An avid squash player, Rajiv likes to balance his life between work and play.
January 31, 2026 Startup Bazaar Abu Dhabi 2026
PANEL | Owning the opportunity: How UAE startups can lead in the age of AI
As the global AI market accelerates toward trillions in value, UAE startups stand at the crossroads of innovation, capital, and strategic vision. The panel will explore how founders can leverage the nation’s forward-thinking policies, infrastructure, and global investor interest to capture a meaningful share of the AI economy.
Discussion points:
- Positioning UAE-based startups in the global AI value chain
- Turning government vision (UAE AI Strategy 2031) into entrepreneurial advantage
- Building local data and compute capabilities to scale AI innovation
- Partnering with U.S. and Indian investors for cross-market growth
- The role of talent, IP, and regional collaborations in creating AI leadership
MODERATOR:
- Mouli Narayanan, Zeblok Computational
PANELISTS:
- Ria Chakraborty, Veristyle, New York
- Manish Kumar, Mu Gamma Consultants
- Rajiv Shah, Indian Business and Professional Group (IBPG)