Dubai: Ten years ago, a 21-year-old fresh graduate landed in Dubai, with all the enthusiasm in the world, ready to write the next big chapter of her life. It was 2016.
Today, 31-year-old entrepreneur Drishti Israni can safely look back at the past decade and define it with just one phrase – ‘Dubai-it’.
Dubai, she says, was a whole new world, after she moved from Mumbai to pursue her postgraduate studies in the city.
“Within two months, I already had an internship in public relations, which I loved doing. For someone who is fresh out of college, a graduate studying and working at the same time was very exciting,” she said.
Starting from scratch
The projects she worked on, the people she met, quickly built confidence in what she had to offer.
“I stayed in a shared accommodation, woke up early in the morning to take the bus to Metro and then to my office in Trade Centre. After work, I would go to university and then head back home. That is how my journey started,” she said.
The hard work paid off. Israni began moving up the career ladder, landing her first internship at a PR agency in Dubai, which focused on luxury hospitality, opened up a whole new world of opportunities.
“The role that truly shaped me was with the agency – I worked with hotels on private islands, Michelin star chefs, and some of the top luxury hotels. It gave me global exposure, and I also started getting a lot of insights on how Dubai works,” she said.
“There was always something to learn, you had to pay attention to detail and also be willing to put yourself in front of other people,” she said.
No better place to take risks
In five years, she moved from intern to executive to Senior PR manager. Then, she began looking for “something more”.
“I love taking risks and honestly, there is no better place than Dubai to do it,” she said.
“You have that faith that everything’s going to be fine, because the city gives that to you. I know it sounds clichéd, but it does make you believe that if you dream big, anything is possible,” she added.
It was a belief reinforced by the people she met every day in the city – people willing to meet, listen and support.
“That, I think, is very Dubai – everyone’s open to meeting,” she said.
So, when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the ‘Dubai-it’ initiative earlier this year it felt like an epiphany to Israni.
The ‘Dubai-it’ philosophy, which highlights the ability to achieve something extraordinary with excellence in record time, has been something Israni has witnessed all through the past decade.
“Dubai does that to you. It makes you a whole new person in a very, very good way,” she said.
How Dubai became home
In 2023, Israni started her own PR agency – Not So Subtle, with her business partner and now husband – Sunny Parnani.
“My husband is a Dubai born and raised kid,” she said.
“We co-founded the company, because he comes from an ad production background, and I was in a complimentary industry doing campaigns and brand strategies,” she added.
A year after starting the company, the two got married in 2024 and welcomed their daughter – Prisha, in August last year.
But even as Israni crossed major milestones in her life, the city continued to offer just the right home for her dreams.
“As a new mum, my focus is more on figuring things out. I want to build on myself, nurture my family, give my daughter the best while also growing my agency,” she said.
That work-life balance has been easier to achieve in Dubai – from the option to work from home, or from cafés built specifically for working mums, to clients who are understanding and supportive.
Then there are the public amenities – from changing rooms to dedicated areas for mothers to feed their child.
“It makes it so easy for us to move around,” Israni said.
“Everything is so top notch that you’re always comfortable. I don’t think there was ever a point where I was left wondering – where can I feed my daughter,” she added.
The quality of life the city offers has encouraged Israni to also bring her parents here, a move that has made Dubai feel more like home. As for what the future holds, the journey only seems onwards and upwards.
“There's no looking back,” Israni added.