Page 142 - CW E-Magazine (10-10-2023)

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OBITUARY

Paints pioneer, Ashwin Dani, passes away

Indian paints magnate, Ashwin
Suryakant Dani, who spearheaded home-
grown paints company Asian Paints
founded by his father in the 1940s, passed
away in Mumbai on September 28 at age
80 after a brief illness. He served as the
Non-Executive Director of the company.

The billionaire businessman was asso-
ciated with Asian Paints since 1968
and played a key role in the growth of
the largest paints company in India. He
played a pivotal role in developing India’s
paints industry, capitalising on increasing tion of Chairman of the Board and the Mr. Dani had said in an interview with
demand from the country’s emerging company. CNBC TV18 in May this year.
middle class.
He pioneered the idea of computerised “Ashwin bhai” as he was fondly
Born in Mumbai, Mr. Dani had a colour matching in the Indian industry. referred to had the knack for surprising
B.Sc. (Hons) from the Institute of Sci- This concept is now widely used across senior fi gures in the company inquiring
ence, University of Bombay, as well as industries in the fi eld of paints, plastics, about the cost of resin, a crucial raw
a B.Sc. (Tech) (Pigments, Paints & Var- printing inks, and textiles. Asian Paints material in paint production. Mr. Dani had
nishes) from the UDCT (now Institute of was the fi rst paint company in India, and an intimate understanding of resin pricing
Chemical Technology or ICT). He pur- even in Asia, to implement this concept in and would engage employees with ques-
sued a Master’s in Polymer Science from 1975. Mr. Dani was also instrumental in tions, aiming to provide valuable cost
the University of Akron in the US, as well shifting the packaging of water-thinnable context.
as a Diploma in Color Science from Ren paints for decorative purposes from metal
Rensellaer Polytechnic, Troy, New York. to plastic containers. Business interests aside, Mr. Dani
was also a follower and practitioner of
He started his career in 1967 as a During his tenure at Asian Paints, Iyengar Yoga – a practice he embraced
development chemist with Inmont Corp. Mr. Dani initiated international joint after an episode of slipped disc led him
(an industrial coatings manufacturer now ventures, diversifi cation, and a strategic to discover the practice in 1980.
known as BASF) in Detroit, USA. He push into rural markets.
returned to India to join the family-owned Mr. Dani was also associated with
business beginning as a senior executive In 1997, Mr. Dani led the setting up of various government and trade associa-
in 1968 and moving through successive the 50:50 joint venture with PPG Indus- tions throughout his professional career.
senior positions, such as Director of tries Inc., US, for industrial coatings. He He was part of President’s Advisory
R&D, Works Director, and Whole-Time was the founder director on the board of Council of The University of Akron,
Director. the joint venture, PPG Asian Paints Pvt. Akron, Ohio, USA; the Central Board of
Ltd. He was also the founder-promoter of Trustees-Employees Provident Fund of
Mr. Dani joined the company’s board Loctite India Pvt. Ltd. (now Henkel Ad- the Government of India; Vice President
in 1970 and held the position of Vice hesive Technologies India). of the Federation of Indian Chambers of
Chairman and Managing Director of the Commerce and Industry; Board of gov-
company from 1998 to 2009. Since 2009 “I have been with the paint industry ernors of the UDCT Alumni Association;
he continued on the board as the Non-Exe- for almost 55 years. I eat paints, I drink and Board of Management of ICT.
cutive Director & Vice Chairman of the paints, I dream paints. Ever since I gradu-
Board and the company. For the period ated from UDCT in paint technology, He is survived by his wife Ina Dani
between 2018 to 2021 he held the posi- I devoted my whole life to paints,” and three children, Jalaj, Hasit, and Malav.

142 Chemical Weekly October 10, 2023

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