Karsanbhai Patel And The Mantra of Nirma
Story of Karsanbhai Patel is one of the most motivational stories of all time. He is a man who had lost his daughter Nirma in a car accident. But his daughter’s name will be eternally remembered as the brand he nurtures just like his own daughter. Everybody is familiar with the jingle of Nirma, “Sabki Pasand Nirma”.
Born in 1945 in Mehsana, Gujarat; Karsan Bhai Khodidas Patel is an Indian industrialist who founded a brand that has remained one of the most famous ones amongst the Indian middle-class – Nirma group!
From one man operation to 18000+ workforce
A well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist Karsan Bhai started Nirma as a one-man operation and has brought to a stage where today Nirma has 18000+ employees and revenues of more than Rs.7,000 Cr. Karsanbhai made Nirma detergent powder in his house’s backyard. His house was in Khokra near Ahmedabad. He sold the powder door to door at Rs 3 per Kg, whereas the brands then, were selling detergents around the range of Rs 13 per Kg.
He also launched the Nirma labs education project, aimed at training and incubating entrepreneurs in India. In 2010, Karsanbhai Patel was conferred with Padma Shri. K.K.Patel is a great example of a self-made man. Coming from a farmer’s family he understood the need of the much-neglected lower class and lower-middle-class segment and gained high profits from the same. He established a position for his firm in the lower income segment of the detergent market, overtaking many heavyweights and multinationals, to grow as a winner. Literally, he made money by washing other’s dirty garments. Give your consumer what he wants, when he wants, where he wants and at the price he wants, selling will be done quite automatically. This is the marketing ‘mantra’ of Nirma.
