Karsanbhai Patel | |
---|---|
Born | 1945 (age 79–80) Patan, Gujarat, India |
Nationality | Indian |
Education | BSc in Chemistry |
Occupation(s) | Businessman, Industrialist |
Organization(s) | Nirma Group Nirma University |
Known for | Founder of Nirma Group |
Awards | Padma Shri (2010) |
Karsanbhai Khodidas Patel (born 1945) is an Indian billionaire businessman, industrialist, and founder of the Nirma Group, a company with major business interests in cement, detergents, soaps and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, packaging, and chemicals. As of 2024, Hurun has listed his net worth at US$9 billion. [1] He has an interest in education and, in 1995, founded Nirma University. [2] Patel was awarded the Padma Shri in 2010. [3]
Born in 1945 into a farmer family from Patan, Karsanbhai finished his BSc in Chemistry at age 21 and worked as a lab technician, first in the New Cotton Mills, Ahmedabad, of the Lalbhai group and then at the Geology and Mining Department of the state Government.
In 1969, Karsanbhai started selling detergent powder, manufactured and packaged in his backyard. This was an after-office business – a one-man company. Karsanbhai would cycle through the neighbourhoods selling handmade detergent packets door to door. At a price of Rs. 3 per kg, (one-third the price of leading detergents), it was an instant success. Karsanbhai branded his detergent soap, Nirma, after the name of his daughter. [4] After three years, Karsanbhai felt confident enough to quit his job. Later he said, "The lack of any such precedent in my family made the venture fraught with failure. But farmers from North Gujarat are known for their spirit of enterprise." Karsanbhai set up shop at a small workshop in an Ahmedabad suburb. The Nirma brand group quickly established itself in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The high quality and low price of the detergent made for great value. Fuelled by housewife-friendly advertisement jingles, Nirma revolutionized the detergent market, creating an entirely new segment in the market for detergent powder. At the time, detergent and soap manufacture was dominated by multinational corporations with products like Surf by Hindustan Lever, priced around Rs. 13 per kg. Within a decade, Nirma was the largest selling detergent in India. Since production was labour-intensive, Nirma also became a leading employer (employing 14,000 people 2004). Made without some phosphates, Nirma was also somewhat more environment friendly.
After establishing its leadership in economy-priced detergents, Nirma entered the premium segment, launching toilet soaps Nirma bath and Nirma beauty soap, and premium detergent Super Nirma detergent. Ventures into shampoo and toothpaste were not as successful, but the edible salt Shudh is doing well. Nirma beauty soap is one of the leading soaps, behind Lifebuoy and Lux. Overall Nirma has a 20% market share in soap cakes and about 35% in detergents. Nirma also has successful operations in neighbouring countries.
In 1995, Karsanbhai started the Nirma Institute of Technology in Ahmedabad, which grew into a leading engineering college in Gujarat. An Institute of Management followed, with the entire structure being consolidated under the Nirma University of Science and Technology in 2003, overseen by the Nirma Education and Research Foundation. The Nirmalabs education project, aimed at training and incubating entrepreneurs, was launched in 2004.
Karsanbhai's two sons, daughter and son-in-law are now at leading positions in the Nirma organization: [5] Rakesh K Patel (MBA) looks after procurement and logistics, Hiren K Patel, chemical engineer and MBA, heads marketing and finance, while Kalpesh Patel is in human resources and Healthcare Industry (Nirlife healthcare).
In 2019, Karsanbhai was ranked No. 30 by Forbes magazine in its list of India's richest persons. [6] In 2001, Karsanbhai was awarded an honorary doctorate by Florida Atlantic University, recognizing his exceptional entrepreneurial and philanthropic accomplishments.
In 1990, the Federation of Association of Small Scale Industries of India (FASII), New Delhi, awarded him the 'Udyog Ratna' award. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry also felicitated him as an 'Outstanding Industrialist of the Eighties'. He has served twice as Chairman of the Development Council for Oils, Soaps and Detergents. Patel was conferred with the Padma Shri Award in 2010. [3] The award was formally conferred by the President of India, Pratibha Patil.
It was also reported by the Times of India on 7 June 2013 that he purchased a 400 million six-seater chopper. After Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and Zydus group promoter Pankaj Patel, Karsanbhai became the third Ahmedabad-based industrialist to buy a chopper. [7]
In 2017, Karsanbhai was ranked No. 38 by Forbes magazine in its list of India's richest persons ($3.6 billion). [8] In 2019, Karsanbhai was ranked No. 30 by Forbes magazine in its list of India's richest persons ($3.9 billion). [9]
According to Forbes' list of India's 100 richest tycoons, dated October 9, 2024, Karsanbhai Patel is ranked 48th with a net worth of $6.05 billion. [10]
The Sarkhej–Gandhinagar Highway, colloquially the S.G. Road or S.G. Highway, connects the city of Ahmedabad with Gandhinagar, the capital of the state of Gujarat, India. It forms a major part of NH 147, which connects Sarkhej with Chiloda near Gandhinagar. It is a major artery road for commercial and public transport, and is witnessing a major construction boom along its route towards Gandhinagar.
Ahmedabad is the industrial center in western India after Mumbai. The gross domestic product of Ahmedabad metro was estimated at US$136.1 billion in 2023. Ahmedabad is the largest contributor to the GDP of Gujarat state, with an estimated US$68 billion as of 2017 out of $227 billion, textile and clothing in Ahmedabad is one of the oldest industries. It is the largest supplier of denim and one of the largest exporters of gems and jewellery in the country. Ahmedabad has one of the largest concentration of pharmaceutical and biotech companies in India. Ahmedabad hosts the headquarters of major public-sector banks Ahmedabad Dist Co Op Bank, Ahd Mercantile Co-Op Bank Ltd, Ahmedabad Mercantil Co Op Bank, Dena Bank, The Cosmos Co - Op Bank, Manager Gujarat Ambuja Co-Operative, The Gujarat State Co-operative Bank Ltd.Gujarat State Coop Bank, The Kalupur Bank, Ahmedabad Capital Bank, Kutch Bank co op, Bank of Rajasthan, Bank of Marwad.
Nirma is a conglomerate based in Ahmedabad, India, involved in the manufacture of various products, including detergents, soaps, cement, cosmetics, salt, soda ash, linear alkyl benzene, and injectables. It was founded in 1969 by Karsanbhai Patel, a laboratory technician, as a one-man operation.
Shiv Nadar is an Indian billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder and chairman of HCL Technologies, and is chairman of the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Nadar founded HCL in the year 1976 and transformed the IT hardware company into an IT enterprise over the next three decades. In 2008, Nadar was awarded Padma Bhushan for his efforts in the IT industry. Nadar, nicknamed by friends as Magus, since the mid-1990s he has focused his efforts on developing the educational system of India through the Shiv Nadar Foundation. According to Forbes, he has an estimated net worth of US$42 billion as of October 2024 making him one of the richest people in the world.
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Bapunagar in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It is in the eastern part of the city, in the Bpunagr ward. Its name derives from the word bapu, which refers to Gandhi, who was popularly called bapu, or 'father'.
Pankaj Ramanbhai Patel is an Indian billionaire businessman, and the chairman of Zydus Lifesciences, the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in India.
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His Nirma, derived with love from the name of his daughter Nirupama, was going to be "Sabki Pasand Nirma".