In Kerala’s Thrissur, Moothedath Panjan Ramachandran popularly known as M. P. Ramachandran is one of the most famous and well-respected entrepreneurs, we can say that for sure. For those who don’t know much about him, well, he’s the one behind the Jyothy Laboratories, you know, the company that was recently in the headlines for crossing a mind boggling valuation of more than ₹16,900 Crore. It is even hard to believe that he just started that business with only 5000 rupees, and that’s it. If you still don’t get it, well, recognized mainly for household names such as Ujala Supreme Fabric Whitener and EXO Dish Wash Bar, Jyothy Labs is a popular company in the country. With all that said, you must give a good read to his life story, maybe it inspires something within you, right? Here we go then.
Features | Details |
Name | Moothedath Panjan Ramachandran |
Known For | Founder of Jyothy Laboratories, Ujala Fabric Whitener |
Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed, company valued at ₹16,900 crore |
Age | In his 70s (exact age not publicly stated) |
Education | B.Com from St. Thomas College, Thrissur; Financial Management in Mumbai |
Key Products | Ujala Supreme Fabric Whitener, EXO Dish Wash Bar, Maxo mosquito repellent |
Early Life and Education
Just so you know, Ramachandran was born in Kandanassery, a little village situated in Thrissur, Kerala. He grew up in a middle-class setting that lived on the foundation of hard work, you know? As for his education, well, after successfully finishing school, he graduated from St. Thomas College with a degree in commerce in Thrissur. The next step for him was a move to Mumbai to undertake a more advanced level of education in financial management, and that’s what he did. During his time back in Mumbai, he earned a living as an accountant, yet he never had any doubts that his objective in life was to start a business of his own, so he went on with it. And we all know how that turned out for him, don’t we?
The Spark of Entrepreneurship
After moving to Mumbai and working for a while, Ramachandran realized that the fabric whiteners available at that time didn’t fulfill his wish of having bright clothes. At that time though, by coincidence, he happened to read an article about purple-colored dyes that could, besides the use of whiteners, make the fabric look whiter. Suddenly, he had an idea. Ramachandran started to experiment in the kitchen. He was working for ten months in the kitchen before he finally found a formula that made the revitalization of clothes a reality.
Founding Jyothy Laboratories
In 1983, with a loan of ₹5,000 given to him by his brother, he started a small factory on family land in Kerala. It was named Jyothy after his daughter, and so Jyothy Laboratories was born. The first product was Ujala Supreme Fabric Whitener, it turned out to be pretty famous and something that worked really great for his business. This product worked better than anything else available in the market and soon became a household name all through South India. In 1997, Ujala had basically become a pan-India brand.
Growth and Expansion
Once his star product or the star product of the brand/company he created, the floodgates just wide open. From the point of Ujala’s acceptance as a key product, Ramachandran added the household product line by including EXO Dish Wash Bar in it, you know? Later on, though, the items speak of the best consumer quality in terms of their cost, and they are common in many Indian houses in a short time. A firm, ongoing, and new product introduction was made by Jyothy Labs, keeping customers’ problems in mind, which thus positively affected the steady growth.
Jyothy Labs Today
Today, Jyothy Laboratories is almost like a household name in the quick-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry in India, with a market capitalization of roughly ₹16,900 crore, can you even believe that? Ranging from cleaning agents to dishwashing products to mosquito repellents, Jyothy Labs sells its array of every household type ranging from cleaning agents to dishwashing products and mosquito repellents so well across the country. This just goes to show you that no matter how small of a start you have in the business scene, if you are willing to make it big and you have the vision to look forward to, you can literally do anything you dreamed of.