THE STORY OF WASHING POWDER NIRMA
In the late 1960s, washing clothes in India was expensive. Most families could not afford branded washing powders, and people mostly used soap bars to wash their clothes. At that time, a young man named Karsanbhai Patel decided to change this.
Karsanbhai Patel was working as a chemist in the Gujarat government. In his free time, he started making his own detergent powder at home. He carefully mixed chemicals in his backyard and tested the powder himself. Once he was satisfied with the quality, he packed it in small bags.
Every morning before going to work, he would take his bicycle and go door-to-door selling his detergent. He sold it for just ₹3 per kilogram, while other popular brands cost around ₹15. Many people were surprised that a good detergent could be so cheap.
At first, shopkeepers and big companies did not take him seriously. But housewives loved the product because it cleaned clothes well and saved money. Slowly, word spread from one home to another, and the demand grew.
Karsanbhai named his detergent “Nirma,” after his daughter. With the profits he earned, he set up a small factory. Over time, Nirma became one of India’s most popular detergent brands.
Tragically, she passed away later in a road accident, and after her death, the name Nirma took on a deeper emotional meaning for him. He continued to grow the brand, and it became both a business success and a lasting memory of his daughter.
In the 1980s, Nirma challenged big multinational companies and became a household name. Its catchy jingle—
“Washing Powder Nirma, Washing Powder Nirma…”
made it famous across the country.
The success of Nirma showed that hard work, innovation, and understanding the needs of common people can create something extraordinary. Karsanbhai Patel’s simple idea changed the way millions of Indians washed their clothes.
