Sima Ganwani Ved

Sima Ganwani Ved
Born
Africa
CitizenshipIndia
EducationMBA Business Management
Alma materBSC in Business Management King's College London
OccupationsFounder & Chairwoman of Apparel Group
SpouseNilesh Ved
Children3
Websitesimaved.com/en

Sima Ganwani Ved is an Indian businesswoman and philanthropist.[1][2][3] She is the founder and chairwoman of Apparel Group, a multinational retail and fashion conglomerate headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[4][5][6]

She was named the 12th most powerful businesswomen in the Middle East by Forbes in 2024.[7][8][9]

Early life and education

Sima was born in Africa and brought to Dubai by her father in the 1970s.[10] She was raised in an entrepreneurial family and developed an interest in the retail sector at an early age. At the age of 20, she began managing a department store in her father’s shopping mall.[11][12][13][14][15] She received her BA degree from King's College London, followed by an MBA in Business Management.[3]

Business career

In 1996, she founded the Apparel Group, a UAE-based fashion and retail company.[16][17][13][18][19] She is also the Vice Chair of the AppCorp, the holding company that has Apparel group, 6thStreet.com, Indus real estate, and Harley Medical Centre.[20][21][12]

Ved is a member of organizations like YPO and CEO. She is the first female member of YPO to set up a regional chapter (YPO MENA STAR),[22][23] which had 52% female members.[24][25] In 2010, she launched her TV chat show, Hi tea with Sima Ved, on the Star Plus international.[26][27][28][29][30]

She mentored her teenage daughter to launch an athleisure brand F5 Global in 2021, with some proceeds going towards educating underprivileged kids.[31] She mentored and founded a social commerce beauty platform NESSA with her eldest daughter, Selina Ved.[13][32] In November 2024, Sima Ved participated as one of the "sharks" on Shark Tank Dubai Season 2.[33]

Awards

  • Philanthropreneur of the year.[11]
  • Retailer of the year.[11]
  • Great Women's award.[34][35][13]
  • Emirates Woman of the Year.[26]
  • Ranked #12 of the 100 most powerful businesswomen of 2024 by Forbes Middle East.[36]
  • Ranked #12 of the 100 most powerful businesswomen of 2025 by Forbes Middle East.[37]
  • Ranked #12 of the Arabian Business 100 Most Inspiring Women 2025.[38]
  • Ved was featured on the Forbes "50 Over 50 Global 2026" list, which celebrates women over 50 who are leaders, creators, and innovators.[39]

References

  1. ↑ "Revealed: The 50 most powerful Indians in the Middle East". www.arabianbusiness.com. 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  2. ↑ "Sima Ganwani Ved - Top 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2023".
  3. 1 2 "Retail: Sima Ganwani Ved | Gulf Business". 2024-12-30. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  4. ↑ "50 Richest Indians in the GCC 2016 - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  5. ↑ "Indian Rich List 2011 - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  6. ↑ "Carrefour to open 50 stores in next 5 years in north India". Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  7. ↑ Salian, Neesha (October 7, 2022). "Apparel Group, Nykaa partner to set up omnichannel beauty retail platform in GCC".
  8. ↑ Salian, Neesha (October 10, 2022). "TOMS gives 10 $10,000 grants to 10 mental health-focused organisations".
  9. ↑ "Nykaa enters into strategic alliance with Middle East-based apparel group". thepeninsulaqatar.com. October 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Apparel Group expands Qatar footprint with launch of 20 stores at Place Vendôme mall in Lusail City - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. 2022-04-17. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  11. 1 2 3 "Sima Ganwani Ved to speak at World Woman Davos Agenda". gulfnews.com. 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  12. 1 2 Mughal, Waqar. "50 Most Powerful Business women".
  13. 1 2 3 4 Mehta, Somya. "Teen Entrepreneur Sarisha Ved on starting her sustainable e-commerce venture". Khaleej Times.
  14. ↑ "Huda Beauty's Mona Kattan And Apparel Group's Sima Ved To Headline Dtec Forum, Powered By Entrepreneur Middle East, In June Web Story". Business Big News.
  15. ↑ "Skechers donates school kits worth Dh1.5 million to 8,000 vulnerable children". gulfnews.com. 9 September 2021.
  16. ↑ Presse, AFP-Agence France. "French Retail Giant Carrefour To Return To India". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  17. ↑ "الافتتاح الرسمي لمتجر "Nysaa" بدبي.. لحظة محورية في عالم تجارة مستحضرات التجميل بطلاتها نساء! | مجلة سيدتي". www.sayidaty.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  18. ↑ "UAE retail heavyweight Apparel Group's HQ and warehouses get LEED Platinum". gulfnews.com. 13 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "'School Lunch Box' plan to promote healthy lifestyle". www.gulftoday.ae.
  20. ↑ "Like parents, like daughter: Meet Selina Ved of Dubai's Apparel Group who is all set to make beauty her business". gulfnews.com.
  21. ↑ "CEO Women of Influence 2021 Sima Ved - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  22. ↑ "Revealed: Arabian Business' 50 Inspiring Female Business Leaders - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  23. ↑ "Revealed: Arabian Business' Indian Power List 2022 - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  24. ↑ Entrepreneur Middle East Staff (June 9, 2019). "Huda Beauty's Mona Kattan And Apparel Group's Sima Ved To Headline Dtec Forum, Powered By Entrepreneur Middle East, In June". Entrepreneur.
  25. ↑ Roy, Abhirup (2022-10-06). "Nykaa forge ties with Dubai's Apparel Group to expand business in Gulf countries". ThePrint. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  26. 1 2 Roy, Abhirup (October 6, 2022). "Nykaa forge ties with Dubai's Apparel Group to expand business in Gulf countries".
  27. ↑ "Sima Ved | Gulf Business". 15 August 2020.
  28. ↑ Mughal, Waqar. "Sima Ganwani Ved - Top 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2023".
  29. ↑ "Women of Influence in the Arab world 2021 - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  30. ↑ "Revealed: Arabian Business' Indian Power List 2022 - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  31. ↑ Maisey, Sarah (2022-08-13). "The 16-year-old behind F5, the sustainable athleisure brand in Dubai that's going places". The National. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  32. ↑ "Like parents, like daughter: Meet Selina Ved of Dubai's Apparel Group who is all set to make beauty her business". gulfnews.com.
  33. ↑ "Female Entrepreneurs Shine with Unique Ideas in Shark Tank Dubai Season 2 - Lifestyle - Emirates24|7". 2024-11-27. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  34. ↑ "Toms celebrates World Mental Health Day with '10x10' campaign". thepeninsulaqatar.com. October 9, 2022.
  35. ↑ Entrepreneur Middle East Staff (June 9, 2019). "Huda Beauty's Mona Kattan And Apparel Group's Sima Ved To Headline Dtec Forum, Powered By Entrepreneur Middle East, In June". Entrepreneur.
  36. ↑ "100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2024".
  37. ↑ Mughal, Waqar. "Sima Ganwani Ved". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  38. ↑ "Revealed: The Arabian Business 100 Most Inspiring Women 2025 - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  39. ↑ McGrath, Maggie. "Forbes 50 Over 50 Global List 2026 | 50 Leaders Making Their Mark". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
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