From the Editor
  • Low-profile founder of Nirma, Karsanbhai Patel, started out mixing detergents in his backyard and selling them door-to-door on his bicycle.
  • His low-price Nirma brand sparked a detergents war with bigger rivals such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble.
  • Today Nirma is one of the largest producers of soda ash in the world by volume.
  • Patel has long handed over operations to the next generation and took the company private in 2012. His cement unit Nuvoco Vistas was listed in 2021.
  • In March 2024, Nirma completed the $680 million acquisition of a 75% stake in Glenmark Life Sciences, a maker of pharmaceutical ingredients.
Wealth History
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Personal Stats
Age
81
Source of Wealth
Consumer goods, cement, Self Made
Residence
Ahmedabad, India
Citizenship
India
Marital Status
Married
Children
3
Did you know
Patel was born into a farmer's family in Gujarat and started his career as a lab assistant.
Nirma is named after Patel's late daughter Nirupama.
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