From refugee to business tycoon
For decades, ‘MDH waale dadaji’ has been a permanent fixture in India’s kitchen cabinets and collective memory. The man behind the brand is Dharampal Gulati.
Fondly known as the Masala King of India, Gulati was born in Sialkot (now in Pakistan). He came to Delhi after Partition with just ₹1,500 and no formal education.
Gulati began by purchasing a tonga for ₹650 and ferrying passengers across the city. However, realizing his true passion lay elsewhere, he soon sold the tonga and rented a modest 14x9 feet shop in Karol Bagh, where he revived his family business of grounded spices under the name Mahashian Di Hatti. Today it's known to millions as MDH.
With keen business insight, Dharampal Gulati transformed MDH from a small Delhi shop into a nationwide brand. Today, MDH commands approximately 12% share of India's spice market, making it the second-largest player after Everest Spices.
An unlikely yet unforgettable brand ambassador
What made MDH iconic wasn’t just the quality of its spices, it was Gulati himself. During the shooting of a brand advertisement, a unique opportunity arose for Gulati to appear on screen. With his signature red turban, white mustache, and warm smile, he became an instant hit, an unlikely yet unforgettable brand ambassador.
At the age of 94, the MDH CEO, Gulati, became the highest-paid CEO in India’s FMCG sector. He surpassed industry stalwarts like YC Deveshwar (ITC), Adi Godrej and Vivek Gambhir (Godrej), and Sanjiv Mehta (Hindustan Unilever), cementing his legacy as both a visionary and a business icon.
Gulati established the Mahashay Chunnilal Charitable Trust to support education and healthcare through schools, a 200-bed hospital, and mobile clinics. During COVID-19, he donated to relief efforts and provided 7,500 PPE kits, reflecting his enduring generosity.
MDH has reached kitchens in over 100 countries. Gulati’s exceptional efforts were recognized when he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor, in 2019.
Even after his passing in 2020, The Masala King’s legacy lives on every time someone adds a pinch of MDH masala to their curry.
Image sources: MDH, Financial Express
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