It was often said that Dharampal Gulati, the owner of Mahashian Di Hatti (MDH) spices, was a man who would never age. We saw him in commercials as the brand ambassador and iconic face of MDH, right from the time we could remember watching television. "Mahashay" Dharampal Gulati passed away at the age of 97 on Thursday, 3rd December 2020. According to reports, he had been in the hospital for weeks in Delhi. He died due to cardiac arrest early on Thursday morning.
Dharampal Gulati was born in Sialkot, Pakistan in the year 1923 as per his biography on the MDH website. He joined his father's business of spices under the name 'Mahashian Di Hatti', also known as 'Deggi Mirch' waale in those days.
Dharampal Gulati is credited with single-handedly setting up the business in Delhi's Ajmal Khan road close to Karol Bagh market. The spice business took off from there and the rest is history. He started the business with just Rs. 1,500/- in the year 1959, and today MDH is a globally recognised brand with exports to various countries across the world.
Mr. Gulati has a long list of achievements and accomplishments that were no ordinary feat. He became the highest-paid CEO in India at the age of 94 in 2017. He was also awarded the Padma Bhushan for his work in 2019, which is the third-highest civilian award in the country. Dharampal Gulati was not just a successful businessman, but also a well-known philanthropist. In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, he donated 7,500 PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Kits to Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia. Take a look:
Indians were devastated to hear the news of MDH owner Dharampal Gulati's demise. Reactions poured in from many renowned personalities on Twitter, including the likes of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar and more. Take a look at some reactions: