Mahashay Dharam Pal Gulati, the nonagenarian entrepreneur whose spice brand MDH has become synonymous over the years.
Dharampal, who was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, in 1923, dropped out of school after class 5 and tried his hand at a variety of trades.
However, things began to deteriorate in 1947. Following the partition, the family was forced to abandon everything and relocate to India.
Dharampal travelled to New Delhi with only Rs. 1,500 and purchased a horse-drawn cart for Rs. 650.
Dharampal quickly saved enough money to purchase a small 126 square foot shop in Delhi's Karol Bagh neighbourhood.
As the company expanded, MDH opened another store and purchased land for its first factory in 1959.
MDH was the first company to introduce packaged spice mixes, which helped MDH and the Spice King become household names.
MDH is the second-largest player in the spices market, with a 12% market share, and has over 60 leading products across categories.
Dharampal received a salary of Rs. 21 crores, making him the highest-paid CEO in the FMCG industry.
It takes a lot of hard work to rise from a school dropout to the highest-paid CEO.