Are you meant to be an Entrepreneur? How do you know, if you have it in you?

MDH (Mahashian Di Hatti) is not just a masala brand; it represents the spice culture of India. It’s the flavor of India. Ever since I was a child, I grew up watching the MDH advertisement on our black and white television set. Asli Masale Sach Sach, MDH, MDH! The tagline still resonates in my mind. What I liked most about the ads was the grand old masala man Mahashay Dharampal Chunnilal Gulati in the commercials proudly flaunting his mustache and a turban. He remained the life of every commercial of the brand, as long as he was alive. The iconic man, the winner of Padma Bhusan died in 2020 at the ripe age of 98 but he remains etched in my mind. I always liked reading about businesses and business personalities, their struggles, and their growth. However, I am always in awe of Late Mahashay Gulati and the brand he built.

Recently, the news that HUL is in talks to acquire MDH shook me up. How could it even happen? No way could I imagine MDH, the iconic legacy of Late Shri Gulati, becoming the feather in the cap of another company. As I said earlier, it is not just a company but a story that inspires everyone. It is the true replica of a start-up that grew on to become Rs. 10000 crore business. And then, the clarification came, that the news is fake. Hmm, I heaved a sigh of relief. I came across the new commercial of MDH on our new flat-screen television. I loved the ad with his son Rajeev Gulati taking his place in the long mustache. Excited I screamed, “and the legacy continues…”. I thought it will not be just if I keep the inspirational account of this mega man and his mega-brand to only myself. No doubt, there will be only a few who do not know about MDH. But in times of start-ups and entrepreneurship all around, the story of MDH is worth a revision. It can inspire all of us to stay focused on our dreams and be successful.

So the story goes like this. MDH Chachaji or Dadaji, or Masala King, as he was popularly known, was born on 27th March 1923 in Sialkot, present Pakistan. He spent his initial 25 years of life in Pakistan where he used to assist his father Chunni Lal Gulati in running his spice shop. During the 1947 partition, his family migrated to India where they spent some time in a refugee camp in Amritsar. Later they shifted to Delhi. With just Rs. 1500 in hand, Dadaji bought a Tonga and started taking passengers around Delhi. He realized that it was not his cup of tea, and hence, got back to his roots. He bought small tools and once again started his family business in a small shop in Karol Bagh, Delhi in 1948. He added another shop in 1953. Within another span of six years, he purchased some land and set up a spice manufacturing unit, Mahashin Di Hatti in 1959, the same name with which his father ran his business in Sialkot. From just a small shop in 1948, Dadaji laid the foundation of his huge empire. MDH is one of the most recognizable brands in the spices segment with a global presence in more than 100 countries. It has a range of spices and products. The majority of the sales come from the Chat Masala, Chana Masala, and Deggi Mirch variants. Each variant has a sale of over a crore packets every month. During the financial year 2021, the brand had operating revenue of over Rs. 500 crores. It has a chain of thousands of wholesalers and retailers across the country. MDH Spices is a household name in India.

There are many things that the late Mahashay ji will inspire for decades to come. He was a fifth-class dropout yet had a keen business inclination. He tried his hands in several businesses such as soap making, carpentry, hardware business, etc. He failed and failed in all these businesses before picking up his father’s spice business. But he never got discouraged. He faced ups and downs in his life. However, he never backed off. He scaled his business bit by bit. Once he realized his expertise, he stayed rooted in what he and his family were best at. He learned through his mistakes. His perfect entrepreneurial spirit reflects in the fact that he dared to relaunch his business in a new territory. As a far-sighted innovator, he provided variety in spices that nobody would have thought of in the spices segment. Even at the fag end of his life, he remained energetic as ever and featured as a brand ambassador for MDH. He became the highest-paid CEO in 2017 but used to give away 90% of his salary for philanthropic activities. During his lifetime, he opened several schools, a hospital, and a mobile hospital in slums, and did many other charitable works. He remained a disciplined man throughout his life. Every day, he diligently took rounds of the factories, dealers, and markets, including Sundays, until he was satisfied that everything is fine, something that we must learn. Mahashayji believed in the simple mantra of success, that is, to follow the principle of honoring his commitments and serving his customers through pure and quality products. This is a significant thing that young entrepreneurs should keep in mind. Quality and honoring commitment are ingredients to achieve success in any business, small or big. Above all, he believed in honesty in business transactions to his core. Mahashayji may not be any more today, but he set an example of how businesses need to be conducted. With fearlessness, perseverance, hard work, dedication, and a service attitude, any business can grow from the grounds to the skies.

Source: MDH Website