The Man Behind Nirma Washing Powder

In the memory of his loving daughter, a doting father created an empire of Rs. 7000 Cr & brought his daughter's legacy to life.

Here's their incredible story 👇 👇

In 1969, Karsanbhai, the son of a small farmer, worked as a lab technician at the Gujarat Govt. Department of Mining and Geology.

Flexible work hours and job security in a government sector allowed Karsanbhai to explore his passion for Chemistry after job hours. He picked up a project to create a high-quality yet low-cost detergent powder.

This was when Hindustan Unilever Limited's Surf was a market monopoly. Surf was a luxury item, costing Rs. 13/ kg.

Karsanbhai started testing with soda ash, and after much trial & error, conjured a formula that would dominate the market.

After office hours, Karsanbhai cycled around the neighborhood, selling homemade detergent named after his daughter, Nirma, for Rs. 3/Kg. 

Karsanbhai had recently lost his daughter 'Nirupama' in a car accident and named the product after his daughter. His dream was to give his daughter good education and have a worldwide name. 

Therefore, he decided to make his daughter's name famous through Nirma washing powder and keep her immortal.

By the early '80s, Nirma conquered the market share in Gujarat. Seeing this potential, Karsanbhai left his government job to pursue it as a full-time venture.

Patel began working on the supply chain to sell Nirma across India.

But he noticed that retailers outside Gujarat were hesitant to sell it since buyers were unaware of its existence. This resulted in delayed payments, negative cash flow, and high losses to Patel.

To tackle this problem, Karsanbhai took a risky yet pivotal step.

He came out with a brilliant plan to push his idea to the market & promote his formula, followed by massive marketing campaigns - 

🎶"Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma sabki pasand Nirma"🎶

These ads challenged the stereotype of the average Indian middle-class woman, who was formerly just concerned with the household responsibilities but is now confident, glamorous, and ready to face any challenge.

Enticed by the ads, customers flocked to stores. As the demand for Nirma peaked, Karsanbhai flooded the market with his formula, resulting in record-breaking sales.

By the end of 1988, Nirma had a whopping 60% market share and significantly outsold HUL's Surf in sales!

Today, Nirma employs over 18K+ people & is available even in the remotest areas of India.

Karsanbhai's vision to transform India through the establishment of Nirma Institute of Tech, Nirma Ed. & Research Foundation and other institutions further show how revolutionary Nirma is!