Starting a business typically requires a substantial amount of investment to fuel its growth and success. However, there are exceptional cases where businesses have defied the odds by starting with minimal investments and eventually transforming them into billion-dollar companies. Moothedath Panjan Ramachandran started Jyothy Laboratories with a loan of Rs 5000. Starting from humble beginnings, his dedication and hard work scaled the business to remarkable growth.
Ramachandran, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Jyothy Labs, hails from Kerala’s Thrissur. Over the years, Jyothy Labs has grown to become a renowned brand, that has introduced popular products including Ujala Supreme Fabric Whitener, and EXO Dish Wash Bar.
Ramachandran completed his B. Com degree from St. Thomas College. After completing post-graduation, Ramachandran worked as an accountant. However, his interest always inclined towards doing business and making different products.
Moreover, Ramachandran made many attempts to invent a laundry whitener, experimenting in his own kitchen. However, the efforts turned out to be unfruitful. Interestingly, his curiosity was sparked by a chemical industry magazine that mentioned that purple dyes could be used to help textile manufacturers achieve the whitest and brightest colors possible. Driven by this knowledge, Ramachandran spent an entire year experimenting with purple dyes, to invent a whitener for clothes.
In 1983, he borrowed Rs 5000 from his brother to set up a temporary factory on a small portion of the family land in Thrissur. He named the factory Jyothy Laboratories. The company was named after his daughter, Jyothy. One of the mammoth successes the lab received was by launching Ujala Supreme liquid fabric whiteners. The products boomed consumer demand for brighter and whiter clothing. Initially, the product was a great success in the markets of South India, and by 1997, the product’s dominance spread across India. At present, Ujala has managed to secure a significant portion of the national marketplace in the domain of liquid fabric products.
For decades, Ramachandran’s relentless hard work propelled Jyothy Labs to the summit of success, transforming it into one of the most successful companies in the country. Currently, Jyothy Labs has achieved a market capitalisation of approximately Rs 16900 crore.
