The Success Story Of Karsanbhai Patel, The Man Behind Nirma Washing Powder

Someone once said that business is in any Gujarati's blood, and this saying has been proven to be true many times. What's commendable is their willingness take on any kind of small job to make things happen even if it means going door-to-door selling their products.

Karsanbhai Patel is one such example from Gujarat. He quit his full-time government job to follow his dream. He is said to have gone door-to-door selling detergent on his bicycle thereby turning the company into a formidable group. Today, he is one of the richest businessmen from Gujarat with a net worth of $4.1 billion, according to Forbes.

Karsanbhai Patel founder of Nirma group a company | Wikipedia

Almost everyone who's spent their time on the TV screen in the ¡¯90s can't ever forget the lyrics and catchy jingle young girl in a spotless white frock in a Nirma commercial advertisement. But most of us didn¡¯t know the real reason for set up one of the most popular detergent brands in India and a man who nurtured this brand like a daughter. Here¡¯s all you need to know about Karsanbhai Patel and the reason he set up the Nirma brand.

Who is Karsanbhai Patel?

Karsanbhai Patel founder of Nirma group a company | Forbes

In 1945, Karsanbhai Patel was born to a farmer¡¯s family in Ruppur, Gujarat and By the age of 21, he graduated in Chemistry. After graduation, Karsanbhai tried to do a regular job like his peers. Karsanbhai also worked as a lab technician in the New Cotton Mills belonging to the Lalbhai Group. Following this brief stint, he even took up a job at the Geology and Mining Department of the Gujarat government.

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How did Karsanbhai Patel invent Nirma detergent?

The year 1969 was a turning point in Karsanbhai's career, when a small farmer son and a qualified Science graduate, Karsanbhai Patel, was trying to mix Soda Ash and few ingredients to make detergent produce. One fine day, he got the formula right and it was then that he started producing detergents in the 100sq ft backyard of his home as an after office business.

The accident that changed his life

Karsanbhai Patel founder of Nirma group a company | gqindia

Everything was going well in Karsan Bhai's life, but when Karsanbhai lost his daughter in a car accident his life almost changed. Instead of mourning, he found out a way to bring his daughter back to life. Only a few people knew of his daughter when she was alive, but it was this man¡¯s sheer determination and willpower that made his daughter famous throughout the country, even though she was no more.

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A journey from 100sq ft backyard to every middle-class house

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A one-man company, Karsanbhai would cycle through the neighborhoods selling handmade detergent packets door to door at a price of Rs 3 per kg, (one-third the price of leading detergent brands) and it was his instant success Mantra. Karsanbhai branded his detergent soap, Nirma, after the name of his daughter. The good quality and low price of the detergent made a remarkable journey from Karsanbhai 100sq ft backyard to the middle-class house in India for a 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.

Love of a father for his daughter

Nirma

The product was close to Karsanbhai¡¯s heart and so he decided to name it ¡®Nirma¡¯- the nickname of his lost daughter Nirupama. He also put her illustration (girl in the white frock) on the pack and TV commercials just to make sure that everybody remembers her. Such was the love of a father for his daughter. As for Nirma, it still remains among India¡¯s preferred choice of detergents. And its jingles will forever be etched in our memories.

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Nirma University

In 1995, Karsanbhai Patel gave a different identity to Nirma when he founded the Nirma Institute of Technology in Ahmedabad. Thereafter, in April 2003, Nirma University was established by the first three institutions, under a special act passed by the Gujarat State Legislative Assembly.

Nirma University

According to Forbes, in the year 2004 Nirma's annual sales were as high as 8,00,000 tonnes. Karsanbhai Patel, who started his surf company from his home, is today 775th on the list of Billionaires of the world and 39th in the list of richest people in India. Currently, his net worth is $4.1 billion, according to Forbes.

Now, Karsanbhai Patel has handed over his successful business in the hands of his two sons Rakesh Patel and Hirenbhai Patel. In 2010, he was awarded Padma Shri by Pratibha Patil, former President of India. Even today, Nirma remains the largest producer of soda ash in the world and the company has gone private since 2012.