Taking India to the world
HYDERABAD: Entrepreneur Upasana Kamineni Konidela is ending her year on a high — the Vice-Chairperson, CSR of Apollo Foundation just received her UAE Golden Visa! Upasana is elated about how the visa opens up endless opportunities for her to keep the country’s flag flying high. She speaks to CE about the responsibility that comes with being a global citizen, her plans to prosper in a land not her own, what significance it holds to her as an entrepreneur and more.
Revealing what this means to her, Upasana says, “Receiving the UAE Golden Visa is an absolute honour. I’m in the well-being and preventive care space, so this is an opportunity to showcase to people how they can heal in India and that the beauty of our country goes deeper.”
The businesswoman’s current focus is on taking alternative therapies to the world. She adds, “I want to show how the magic of allopathy and alternative medicine can work together to get better outcomes for patients. This visa will help us to popularise Indian alternative healthcare to the world. This is something I have been striving to do for a long time now, and so, I’m extremely grateful to the government of UAE as I will get to take India to the world.”
On what significance this holds as an entrepreneur, she says, “It opens up a lot of opportunities for me. It also brings out that untapped potential and makes it easier for me to understand the world environment because the UAE has been very dynamic in turning a desert into one of the main hubs of the world.”
Upasana is all praise for how Dubai has transformed itself into a productive and valuable place in the world. When we ask her about the kind of responsibility she has on her shoulders being a global citizen, the National Ambassador at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India, says, “We are all global citizens today, and this teaches us that while resources are ours, we need to also learn to respect them wherever we are. Just because someone lives in Andhra doesn’t mean that the resources of Germany don’t belong to them. We are all one world and one family — Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is what I strongly believe in. We’re all one and have to come together to save the planet, holistically.”
UAE Golden Visa
WHAT IS IT?
In 2019, a new system for long-term residence visas was implemented to enable foreigners to live, work and study in the UAE, with 100% business ownership
DOES IT EXPIRE?
Golden Visas will be issued for five or 10 years and will be renewed automatically
WHO CAN APPLY?
Investors, entrepreneurs, specialised talents and researchers in various fields of science and knowledge and bright students with promising scientific capabilities
TERMS & CONDITIONS
People having no less than AED (United Arab Emirates dirham) 10 million worth (for 10-year visa, and 5 million for five-year visa) of public investment can apply. The investment must not be loaned and should be retained for at least three years
ARE STUDENTS ELIGIBLE?
Those with a minimum grade of 95% in public and private secondary schools and university students within and outside the country having a distinction GPA of at least 3.75 upon graduation can apply
HOW TO APPLY?
Contact the Federal Authority for Identity and citizenship (ICA) for any inquiries regarding visas through their toll-free number. For offline assistance, you can reach the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)