“Saddened by the demise of ”Mahashiyan Di Hatti” (MDH) President Shri Dharampal Gulati ji, who was honoured with Padma Bhushan. He was a well-known personality of the Indian industry. His social service activities are also commendable. My condolences to his family and fans,” President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted in Hindi.
पद्म भूषण से सम्मानित, ‘महाशयां दी हट्टी’ (एमडीएच) के अध्यक्ष श्री धर्मपाल गुलाटी जी के निधन से दुःख हुआ। वे भारतीय उद्योग जगत के एक प्रसिद्ध व्यक्तित्व थे। समाज सेवा के लिए किये गए उनके कार्य भी सराहनीय हैं। उनके परिवार व प्रशंसकों के प्रति मेरी शोक-संवेदनाएं।
Gulati was awarded India’s third highest civilian award Padma Bhushan in 2019 for his contribution in the field of food processing.
Fondly known as ‘Mahashayji’ or ‘Dadaji’, Gulati has been the face of the spice brand, appearing in many of its advertisements over the years. His smiling old face made him a known figure among families across the country. In the age of celebrity endorsements, Mahashayji stayed as popular as ever.
Born in 1923 in Sialkot (now in Pakistan), Gulati went on to head one of India’s top manufacturer of spices. Gulati migrated to India with his family after the partition in 1947. His family spent some time in Amritsar, before moving to Delhi.
Later, he went on to purchase land at Kirti Nagar where he started his factory in 1959 and began his popular enterprise, Mahashian Di Hatti Limited. Even though he had to drop out of school after fifth grade, he built a reputable name in the spice business through his determination.
He stayed the CEO of the company even in his late years and earned a salary of over Rs 20 crore for his position. It is reported by some sources that he was the highest-paid fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) CEO in India in 2017. He donated 90 per cent of his salary for charity under the Mahashay Chunni Lal Charitable Trust, which operated a 250-bed hospital and another mobile hospital in Delhi. The trust also runs four schools and offers financial support to people in need.
(Image Source: MDHspices.com)