(Utkarsh Patel)
Born in 1945 in a small Rooppur village in Mehsana district of Gujarat, Karsanbhai Khodidas Patel is not just a businessman today but an immortal pillar of inspiration for thousands of Gujarat's youth. His life is a journey of pain, struggle and steadfast hard work that touches the heart. Starting from a simple lab technician, this person who built a billion-dollar empire like 'Nirma' is the true pride of Gujarat, who kept the immortal memory of his daughter alive in business and gave back to the society manifold.
Karsanbhai's childhood was spent in the soil of the fields. There was a passion for education in the family. He became a science stream student and did his B.Sc. in Chemistry. At the age of 21, he got a job in the lab at New Cotton Mills in Ahmedabad. Then a stable job in the government mines department. This was the dream of the whole family, a government job, a secure life. But Karsanbhai had a desire to do something bigger in his heart. He dreamed of creating something of his own.
In 1969, the most painful chapter of his life began. His beloved daughter Nirupama, who was called ‘Nirma’, passed away in a road accident. That cheerful girl of just 16 years old, who used to roam around in a white frock, her laughter made the house a happy garden. Karsanbhai’s heart broke when she died. There was emptiness in the house but this pain did not break him. Giving her a new life, he decided to immortalize Nirma. He dreamed of keeping the memory of his beloved daughter alive in every home!
In a small room of 10X10 feet in the house, he started making detergent powder at night. Phosphate-free and environmentally friendly and affordable washing powder. In the morning, he would load it on his bicycle and go door to door to sell it. The price was only Rs 3.50 per kg! At that time, the powder of multinational companies was sold for Rs 15. People would be surprised... so good and so cheap? He named this powder 'Nirma' with the love of his daughter. That smiling Nirma girl on the packet was a reflection of his daughter Nirupama. His daughter's soul was alive in her laughter. While selling each packet, Karsanbhai had tears and hope in his eyes, "My daughter will now live in every home."
The journey of this bicycle continued for three years. Only 15 to 20 packets were sold daily. There was no businessman in the family, so the fear of failure was constant. But the entrepreneurial spirit of a Gujarati farmer was in his blood. In 1972, he left his government job. He started small in Ahmedabad. The jingle started playing on the radio, “Washing Powder Nirma, Doodh Si Safedi Nirma...” This jingle was not just a song, it was the feeling of his heart. This brand spread from Gujarat to the whole country with the memory of Nirupama. In the 1980s, it became India’s No. 1 detergent. Even multinational companies lost to it.
Today, the Nirma Group has about 26 factories, thousands of employees and a business worth billions. Nirma’s name is in detergents, soaps, cosmetics, cement, pharma. But Karsanbhai never lived a luxurious life. He still lives in simplicity. He runs the business with his family. He believes that “Success is true when it lifts others up.”
Contribution to society is the biggest chapter of his life. In 1994, he established the Nirma Education and Research Foundation. Nirma Institute of Technology was started in 1995. Today, Nirma University teaches thousands of students in technology, management, law and pharmacy. He also made efforts to make the youth entrepreneurs. He set up a new beacon of higher education in Gujarat.
(The writer is a prominent businessman, social worker and founder of khabarchhe.com)
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