Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways , India’s second-biggest airline by market share which is now struggling to stay afloat, is trying to find a saviour. And that could be a Malayali businessman — Abu Dhabi-based NRI billionaire Yusuffali M A. A Padmashri awardee, Yusuffali is chairman and managing director of Lulu Group International that owns the Lulu Hypermarket chain spread across the world.Goyal is also in talks with Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to get the latter to raise its stake in Jet from 24% to anywhere up to 49%. Yusufalli is considered to be close to the Abu Dhabi royals. Jet’s founder needs a partner to meet the norms that a domestic carrier’s substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC) must remain with Indian entities, and that's where Yusuffali fits into the picture.Goyal could be looking at a deal between Etihad and Yusuffali to take charge of the Indian carrier, ET has reported based on information from sources. However, Yusuffali told ET that he had no interest in buying an airline and that he was focused on his core areas of retailing and hospitality. But a source told ET that Goyal had called up Yusuffali 10 days ago and discussed his buying a strategic share in the airline. They had a detailed conversation. Yusuffali was apprehensive about investing in an industry that loses so much money.Yusuffali hit the headlines recently during the Kerala floods when UAE was said to have offered Rs 700 crore aid to Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayanhad claimed that Yusuffali had informed him about the aid offer. Vijayan had claimed the UAE aid offer was communicated to Yusuffali when he had met the crown prince to convey Bakrid greetings.The issue of UAE aid had triggered a row, with the Centre deciding not to accept the foreign aid for relief work, even as the ruling CPI-M led LDF and the Congress in Kerala came out against the government's move. Finally, the UAE denied having made any such offer.In January this year, Yusuffali acquired an iconic Scottish hotel based in Edinburgh in a 120-million-dollar deal clinched by Twenty14 Holdings (T14H), the hospitality investment arm of his Abu Dhabi-headquartered Lulu Group International. The Caledonian, a grand Edwardian hotel overlooking Edinburgh Castle, joins his portfolio of 650-million-dollar worth of luxury properties across the UK, the Middle East and India.The group, which had acquired the Old Scotland Yard headquarters in London in 2015, has struck a 110-million-pound agreement with property developer Galliard Homes to create a boutique five-star hotel on the site - 1-5 Great Scotland Yard. The custom-built 92,000 sq ft project is to be called the Great Scotland Yard Hotel.Recently, Lulu group announced it would invest Rs 2400 crore to develop 50 lakh sq feet of IT space in Kochi as part of its efforts to promote the IT sector in Kerala.Lulu group, which runs 154 hypermarkets currently spread over 22 countries, is also constructing several malls in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.