Karnataka man wins Rs 49 crore Abu Dhabi lottery, coastal village erupts in celebration

A Karnataka expatriate’s life changed overnight after a jointly purchased ₹12,000 lottery ticket won a ₹49 crore jackpot in an overseas draw. (AI-generated representational image)

A resident of a small coastal village in Karnataka has struck it big overseas, turning a modest lottery ticket into a life-changing fortune and sparking celebrations back home.

Celebrations have erupted in Mattu village of Kaup taluk, near Udupi, after Shanthanu Shettigar won 20 million UAE dirhams (around Rs 49 crore) in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket draw. The results were announced during a live telecast, instantly changing the fortunes of the family.

Shanthanu has been working in the retail sales sector in Oman for the past seven years. In January, he jointly purchased a lottery ticket costing 500 dirhams (about Rs 12,000) with a friend. When the ticket turned out to be the jackpot winner, Shanthanu decided to share the prize money equally with his co-buyer.

The news turned his modest home, located about 10 km from Udupi, into a hub of celebrations. His father, a retired banker, along with his mother, brother, uncle, neighbours and well-wishers gathered to mark the unexpected windfall. “It feels like Goddess Lakshmi has come home,” his father told reporters.

According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, the joy in the family has been amplified by the recent birth of Shanthanu’s baby girl just a month ago, with relatives believing the child has brought luck into the household. His mother, Gunavathi, said the family was overwhelmed with happiness and fondly recalled her son’s childhood, describing him as bright and good at both studies and sports.

Shanthanu informed his family about the win over the phone and is expected to visit home on the 19th before returning to Abu Dhabi, where he plans to participate in future draws. His brother Shashank noted that Shanthanu had bought lottery tickets earlier as well, but this time, fortune finally smiled on him.

Shanthanu’s win adds to a growing list of Indians striking big in overseas lottery draws, especially in the UAE. Over the years, several Indian expatriates, many from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have won multi-million-dirham jackpots in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket and Dubai Duty Free draws, reinforcing their popularity among Indian workers in the Gulf.