Icons of Influence Bharat Bhatia Founder and CEO, Conares Bharat Bhatia is the founder and CEO of Conares, one of the UAE’s leading steel manufacturers. Under his leadership, the company has achieved an annual turnover of Dhs1.2bn, with ambitions to reach Dh2.2bn. Bhatia’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1988 with a modest steel trading firm. His leadership transformed it into Conares, a powerhouse in the steel industry with investments totaling $700m. Today, Conares produces 1.5 million tonnes of steel annually and employs over 900 employees. The company’s manufacturing facilities span 1.5 million square feet, producing steel rebars, pipes, and colour-coated coils. The company’s steel has been integral to major UAE projects, including Etihad Rail and Expo 2020. Bhatia’s business ventures extend beyond steel into the food and beverage and real estate sectors, showcasing his versatile entrepreneurial spirit. Apart from his business pursuits, Bhatia plays a pivotal role in the industry and community. He serves as the chairman of the Steel Manufacturers Group (SMG) and the Conares Foundation. Additionally, he actively contributes to the Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC), Business Leaders Forum (BLF), and the Steel Users Federation of India (SUFI). You might also like Sunil John Dr. Thumbay Moideen Vidya Chhabria Mohan Valrani K. Rajaram Dr. Adnan Chilwan Sanjiv Kakkar Ram Kumar Thota Raghu Malhotra Sunil Kaushal Atif Rahman Amit Jain Rishi Kapoor Vasu Shroff Anil Pillai Bal Krishen Rohit and Sharad Bachani Raju Ramesh and Sunil Paul Ayesha Depala John Paul Joy Alukkas Geet Bhalla and Digvijay Pratap Snehal and Sunita Hadani Nisha Jagtiani Kunal Kapoor Dino Varkey Ashish Panjabi Joy Alukkas Yogesh Mehta Yusuff Ali M.A. Ravi Pillai Micky Jagtiani Sunny Varkey Sunil Vaswani Shamsheer Vayalil Firoz Merchant Rajen Kilachand Azad Moopen Tony Jashanmal Paras Shahdadpuri Dr. Zulekha Daud Adeeb Ahamed Dhananjay Datar Rizwan Sajan PNC Menon Sima Ved Shaji Ul Mulk Ramesh Prabhakar L.T. Pagarani Ram Buxani Surender Kandhari Sohan Roy Shyam Bhatia