Missed calls to jackpot: Indian man in UAE wins ₹60 crore in Big Ticket draw, says 'It was unbelievable'

The man shared that he bought the winning ticket during a ‘Buy 1, Get 1 Free’ promotion. He bought it alone, which means he does not have to share the prize.

It was the call that could change his life, but Saravanan Venkatachalam ignored it, believing it was not important. The 44-year-old electrical engineer from Chennai was at work in the UAE when he received multiple calls from an unknown number. Believing it was unsafe, he chose not to answer. What he didn’t realise was that on the other end were Big Ticket hosts Richard and Bouchra, trying to inform him that he had just won a Dh25 million (approximately ₹60 crore) jackpot in a raffle draw series 280.

Venkatachalam moved to the UAE in 2019.(bigticket.ae)

Venkatachalam only realised what had happened when his wife and friends began calling him repeatedly. “It was unbelievable. Even then, I wasn’t sure it was true because there may be many people with my name,” he told Gulf News after finally speaking to the Big Ticket team.

What was his first thought after winning the jackpot?

Venkatachalam, who moved to the UAE in 2019 and has previously worked in Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, shared his first thought after winning the jackpot. He said he has been under financial pressure, with loans and debts to repay. “Yes, all these are the reasons that make you come to the UAE,” he said.

Now, he says, his biggest relief is securing his children’s futures. “I had secured the future of my children. The only thing on my mind is their education,” he told the outlet.

When did he start buying Big Ticket?

Venkatachalam further shared that he began buying Big Ticket entries in 2018 after an ex-colleague won. He did so only occasionally and interestingly, using credit card reward points. “I used to redeem my cash rebate points to buy tickets. I didn’t spend my own money,” he said.

The 44-year-old shared that he bought the winning ticket on October 30 during a ‘Buy 1, Get 1 Free’ promotion. He bought it alone, which means he does not have to share the prize.

When asked if there was a lucky formula behind his win, he said, “There is no pattern. I just liked that number at the end of the month. That’s it.”

“This is the first time I have ever won anything in my life,” he added.

Venkatachalam's friends and colleagues are now visiting to congratulate him. He says he is grateful and encourages others to try their luck too.

Notably, the Big Ticket, established in 1992 at Abu Dhabi International Airport, is one of the Gulf’s longest-running and most popular raffle draws.