Rags-to-riches success stories reinforce our sense of belief in the tremendous power of determination and perseverance. Karsanbhai Patel is an excellent example of this inspiring story - from very humble beginnings, he founded Nirma Limited, a very well-known detergent and personal care products company from India.
Patel was born in 1945 in Ruppur, Gujarat, to a poor farming family. His childhood was financially very challenging for him. After completing education in chemistry, he joined a government lab as a laboratory technician. He earned just a few rupees per month, but he had still always desired to set up a business to ensure a bright secure future for himself.
1969 was the year Patel found that many could not afford to buy the expensive detergents sold in the market. He saw this as an opportunity and manufactured a cheap detergent powder mass marketed by him. Patel had a loan of Rs 15,000 and manufactured the detergent, named Nirma, made out of basic ingredients in his backyard. He used to sell it door-to-door on his bicycle.
Nirma picked up so fast and within no time, it became the cheapest detergent at Rs 13 per kilogram. More and more people joined the bandwagon of demand; Patel rented a small manufacturing unit and scaled labor to surge in production. The brand Nirma thus soared further and became a word of mouth popular image all over India.
The company Nirma Limited currently works with some 18,000 employees and extends to soaps, cosmetics, and personal care products. The diversified conglomerate earns annual earnings of Rs 7,000 crore, with the Nirma Group turning over a turnover of more than Rs 23,000 crore.
He has received several awards, like the Udyog Ratna Award in 1990, Gujarat Businessman Award in 1998, and the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, to name a few.
The rise of Karsanbhai Patel is the tale of an extra ordinary and impressive rise from humble beginnings and constructing a business empire based solely on diligence and sheer dedication.
