From Rs 5000 To Rs 1,800 Crore: Who Is MP Ramachandran? The Middle-class Person Took Loan From His Brother To Start Business, Made Million Dollar Company

MP Ramachandran's behaviour was always characterised by his desire to learn and his propensity for thinking outside the box, thus founding the million dollar company from a very little investment.

New Delhi: One of the key reasons some people succeed is that they are never satisfied. For them, it is never believing anyone who says that something is impossible. No one has lived these lines better than MP Ramachandran, the founder of Jyothy Labs Limited. The middle-class businessman founded Jyothy Laboratories from humble beginnings, propelled by his sharp vision and unwavering commitment to improving people's lives. Jyothy Labs is better known as the maker of Ujala liquid cloth whiteners and Maxo mosquito repellents. 

The makeshift factory that Ramachandran set up with a sum of Rs.5000 which he lent from his brother has today grown into a multi-brand company with an annual turnover of about Rs. 1,800 crores.

The Struggle Days Of MP Ramachandran

Ramachandran was working as an accountant while pursuing his post-graduation. His behaviour was always characterised by his desire to learn and his propensity for thinking outside the box. Ramachandran was constantly trying to think of ideas that could be useful to others. He chose to introduce his own concoction since he didn't think highly of the whiteners available  on the market. 

In order to make whiteners, he began to experiment in his kitchen by boiling, diluting, and testing. But it was all in vain. One day he came upon a chemical industry journal that said purple-colored dyes might be used to help textile manufacturers get the whitest, brightest colours possible. Ramachandran kept experimenting with purple dyes for a year. 

The Birth Of Jyothy Labs 

Ramachandran was always a risk-taker. Nothing could bring down his spirits. With an optimistic outlook and the desire to build something of his own, Ramachandran set up a temporary factory in 1983 on a piece of family land in Thrissur, Kerala, using money his brother loaned him for Rs. 5000. It was given the name Jyothy Laboratories after his daughter Jyothy. The Lab created Ujala Supreme liquid fabric whiteners in response to consumer demand for brighter and whiter clothing. A group of six women initially sold the product house to house. Ujala Supreme quickly gained popularity in every Indian home. In the beginning, the market grew in South India, and by 1997, the product had a reach across India. Today, Ujala has a phenomenal national market share in the liquid fabric area.

Jyothy Labs evolved into a multi-brand firm after initially producing and selling a single product and later diversifying its product line. Jyothy Labs expanded into additional FMCG product categories, such as air care, detergents, fabric enhancers, and mosquito repellents. Later, it acquired the German company Henkel Ltd. 

MP Ramachandran has always ensured that all sales staff come from underprivileged families. He has also ensured that Jyothy salesman provides assistance at the final point of sale to a shopkeeper. From the early days, Ramachandran had a firm conviction in the power of ads and so he supported Ujala with significant ad spending.

MP Ramachandran retired after dedicating decades to making Jyothy Labs one of the most successful companies in India. The company's new managing director is his daughter, MR Jyothy. MP Ramachandran is still in place as the company's Chairman Emeritus.