In Karol Bagh, Mahashay Dharampal Gulati opened a spice shop after moving to Delhi. In 1953, he opened another shop in the famous Chandni Chowk area of Delhi, from where his company began to flourish.
Mahasay Dharampal Gulati, one of the most famous figures in India, was affectionately known as Dadaji and Mahashayji. The 98-year-old has reportedly been receiving treatment for the past three weeks at Mata Chanan Devi Hospital in Delhi. On November 26, he suffered a heart attack, after which he was admitted to the hospital. On Wednesday, after which he succumbed to his ailments, his health later deteriorated.
At a very young age, Dharampal left his studies to support his dad in the shop. After partition, Dharampal came to India and resumed his family business and began selling spices.
In 1953, when his company started doing well, Dharampal rented another store in Chandni Chowk. MDH is now a global brand that sells spices to countries around the world, including Switzerland, Japan, the United States, and Canada.
Gulati, often referred to as the ‘King of Spices’, appeared in several MDH promotional activities. However, he was also renowned for his efforts to improve the quality of education and was linked to a number of educational institutions. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2019, the third-highest civilian award in India.
Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha Chief Minister, tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” by the news. “He was a shining beacon of India’s entrepreneurial journey who turned MDH Spices into an iconic brand. He will always be remembered for his philanthropic work,” Patnaik said.
भारत के प्रतिष्ठित कारोबारियों में से एक महाशय धर्मपालजी के निधन से मुझे दुःख की अनुभूति हुई है।छोटे व्यवसाय से शुरू करने बावजूद उन्होंने अपनी एक पहचान बनाई। वे सामाजिक कार्यों में काफ़ी सक्रिय थे और अंतिम समय तक सक्रिय रहे। मैं उनके परिवार के प्रति अपनी संवेदना व्यक्त करता हूँ।
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 3, 2020
Dharm Pal ji was very inspiring personality. He dedicated his life for the society. God bless his soul. https://t.co/gORaAi3nD9
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 3, 2020
Dharampal Gulati was the highest-paid CEO in the FMCG sector, according to an Economic Times report in 2017. Then he’d earn even more than Hindustan Unilever’s Adi Godrej and Sanjiv Mehta.
According to Wikipedia, under the banner of the Mahashay Chunni Lal Charitable Trust that operates a 250-bed hospital in Delhi, along with a mobile hospital for slum dwellers and four schools, Mahashay-ji used to donate 90 percent of his salary to charity.
Mahashay Dharmpal of MDH Spices passes away at 98 pic.twitter.com/Ov8aisY8xr
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2020