From Chennai’s Streets To A Global Relocation Empire

Universal Relocations, started in Chennai, has become a global relocation company, specialising in US-India-Middle East moves by prioritising customer care and seamless logistics.

It's not easy to simply pack up your life and move to a different location across the globe. This process involves giving strangers access to the items that you cherish most. Ones that hold you together. It could be your grandmother's broken teacup, your childhood photo album, or the table where your family ate a thousand meals. Such items hold so much more than their monetary value.

This is where Universal Relocations comes in. What began as a small business in Chennai in 1998 has now expanded into a major driving force that is subtly but surely changing the way families relocate between the US, India, and the Middle East. The company claims to have made an empire out of providing care, which carries more importance than logistics.

In the late 90s, moving internationally was a nightmare. You had to deal with many different companies: one for packing your goods, one that would deal with customs, and another that would ship. It was all so convoluted with misimagined details, tremendous delays, and bills that made your forehead sweat.

Sai Dattani, creator of Universal Relocations, observed the chaos and knew there was a better way. "Why can't one company do the whole damn thing?" he said over a crackly phone line from Chennai. That became his mission.

From the start, Universal Relocations made a major investment to help people move to India from the USA. They bought trucks, built warehouses, trained their own people, and avoided subcontractors to avoid pointing fingers during the customer's move. It meant fewer mishaps and faster moves without clients needing antacid tablets every hour.

Universal Relocations has become a lifeline for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are moving back and forth from India to the US. These are not relocations - they are journeys back to the family home or new adventures for them and their family. Universal Relocations understands this and has built its services around it with Full Container Load (FCL) and Less than Container Load (LCL) shipping, weekly trips to the US, pet relocations, and visas and paperwork. 

Universal Relocations shared a client's experience. Deepa, who moved from Bangalore to Boston last year. She was a bag of nerves about the old brass diya belonging to her mother, a family heirloom. "We were worried it would get lost or broken," she said. "But they packed the diya as if it were theirs! When we lit the diya in our new home, it was as if our mom was there with us!" 

Deepa's story is why Universal Relocations has thousands of positive reviews, especially for India-US relocations. Not only is their client-base growing, it's exploding! They now have offices in five major Indian cities (Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad) and five US offices (New Jersey, Texas, California, Georgia, and Maryland). 

The company claims that last year, they opened an office in Dubai, following the swelling Indian diaspora in the Middle East, and not just for money. "Dubai is a whirlwind," said Sai. "Our clients are there. So we had to be there too."

Their mission is simple: whether you're moving from Kolkata to Dubai or Seattle to Chennai, they want it to be as seamless and human as possible.

The compny claims that the Middle East has not been a walk in the park. The customs regulations there are a nightmare, and a lot of the clients expect a white glove service. Universal Relocations did not balk. They implemented specialized handling for delicate items, such as artwork, pianos or your child's beloved gaming system. Now they have even expanded into corporate moves and pet relocations.

Anu Dattani, the vice president of the firm, was clear, "The UAE is not like India or the US. The regulations are more stringent and the stakes are higher. We had to learn quickly."

They have also embraced sustainability, with reusable eco-friendly packing, and taking smarter routes to reduce their carbon footprint. This is not just for PR—clients especially in more eco-friendly markets are keen on it.

Technology’s been a quiet game-changer, the company says that real-time tracking, virtual surveys, instant quotes, you name it, they’ve got it. “We could check where our boxes were at 2 a.m.,” said Arjun, who moved to Dubai. “It was like they were holding our hand through the whole thing.”

They further state, moving across countries is messy. Even the best-laid plans can be derailed by storms, customs issues, or a missing truck. The way Universal Relocations manages the chaos is what sets them apart.

Sharing another satisfied customer's experience, the company says, Vikram, whose relocation from Mumbai to Chicago was complicated by the disappearance of a box. He claimed, "They called us before we even realized there was a problem." It was fixed in a day. It is the most self-aware company we have ever seen.

The company claims they have committed teams and customs specialists who respond to issues as quickly as firefighters. Sai laughed and remarked, "Stuff happens." "How you clean it up is what counts."

They are now focusing on the Middle East and are considering Riyadh for their next office. “We’re still the company that treats every move like it’s personal,” Anu told us. “That’s not changing.”

From a small office in Chennai to a footprint spanning three continents, Universal Relocations hasn’t lost its soul. They’re not just moving your stuff; they’re carrying your life, one box at a time.

To read more about Universal Relocations, visit www.universalrelocations.com.

(This article is from the Brand Desk. User discretion is advised.)