MDH Masala Owner Mahashay Dharampal Gulati No More

Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, the owner of the spices brand 'MDH' (Mahashian Di Hatti) passed away at 97 by cardiac arrest on Thursday morning at 5.30 AM. According to sources, he was undergoing treatment in New Delhi Hospital for the past three weeks.

Dharampal Gulati was fondly called Dadaji and Mahashayji. He was born on 27 March 1923 in Sialkot in the present-day Pakistan. His father was Mahashay Chunni Lal Gulati, the founder of MDH. His family migrated to India during the partition of India. The family spent some time at a refugee camp in Amritsar, and then they moved to Delhi in search of work. 

In Delhi, Gulati opened a spice shop in Karol Bagh. In 1953, he rented a second shop in Chandni Chowk. In 1959, Gulati purchased land in Kirti Nagar, New Delhi to set up the manufacturing unit of Mahashian Di Hatti. He built the entire group to one of India's leading spices manufacturers expanding to 150 factories and more than 60 products, where three variants( Deggi Mirichi, Chat Masala, and Chana Masala) became much famous. MDH also has offices in Dubai and London. In 2019, the Government of India honored Gulati with Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award.

Gulati is also known for his philanthropic work and established a hospital in Janakpuri, New Delhi, and a number of educational institutions.  In 2017, Gulati was the highest-paid fast-moving consumer goods CEO in India. He took home over Rs 21 crore as salary last fiscal.