In India’s culinary space, MDH Masala is an unforgettable name. The image of a smiling bespectacled Dadaji with his iconic red turban and white sherwani on the packet is quite familiar to all.
MDH, an abbreviation of Mahashian Di Hatti was launched in 1919 by Mahashay Chunni Lal Gulati in undivided India’s Sialkot region. Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, the man we see on the cover of MDH now, was born in 1923 to Mahashay Chunnilal and Mata Chanan Devi.
He was not interested in studies and hence dropped out of school in Class V. He joined his father in his business of selling mirrors and then soaps. For a brief period, they had opened a spice shop under the name Mahashian Di Hatti. However, they had to leave everything behind when moved to Amritsar following the partition. He was 23 years old then.
From Amritsar, Gulati and his brother travelled to Delhi where he did numerous jobs such as ferrying before restarting his spice business. He bought a small wooden shop at Ajmal Khan Road in the Karol Bagh area and started Mahashian Di Hatti of Sialkot, Deggi Mirch Wale. Over the years, their products became famous through mouth publicity and local ads. In 1953, he opened the first modern spice store in Delhi.
To stand out, he developed a cardboard packaging with the words, ‘Hygienic, Full of Flavour & Tasty.’ He also put his image on the box to develop a connection with the customer. It worked! Eventually, he became the face of MDH. Gradually, MDH became an unavoidable name in India’s FMCG sector. It broke the age-old norm that ‘masalas are pure only when made at home.’ He also received Padma Bhushan for his contribution to the Trade.
Today, MDH supplies about 64 products such as MDH Chunky Chat, Biryani Masala, Amchoor Powder, Dahivada Masala, MDH Meat Masala, Rava Fry Bharwan Sabzi Masala, Meat Masala, Kasoori Methi, Garam Masala, Rajma Masala, Shahi Paneer Masala, Dal Makhani Masala, and Sabzi Masala. This FMCG company generated a revenue of Rs 924 crore in 2017. It exports to over a hundred countries and has eight lakh retail dealers and 1,000 wholesalers. It also does its share of charity. It had established a 300-bed hospital in West Delhi for the poor.
