Kuldip Singh Dhingra, the patriarch of the Dhingra family and the man credited with building Berger Paints, has remained a mystery. He is low-profile, eschews media and continues to operate from a small office in Delhi. In Unstoppable by Sonu Bhasin, a candid and captivating biography, Kuldip reveals his story for the first time.
Read to know a few facts about this dynamic man:
1. Through Enid Blyton’s books, Kuldip would take his brother and sister to faraway lands of wishing trees, enchanted forests and the adventures of Noddy and his friends. The siblings would look forward to the stories.
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2. Sixteen-year-old Kuldip had decided that he wanted to study further before coming to sit at the shop. ‘I thought chemical engineering karoonga, paints da business hai – kaam aa jaayegi [I thought I would study chemical engineering, we have a paints business – it will be useful],’ he said.
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3. Kuldip went to Chandigarh in the summer of 1964 armed with his mark sheets and sports certificates. He had trophies and certificates for athletics, high jump, shot put and table tennis. Government College Chandigarh immediately gave him admission to his preferred course, Bsc honours in chemistry.
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4. Kuldip has a temper but he also has compassion. ‘People tell me that I am like a volcano. After the lava gushes out, there is calm,’ he said.
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5. Kuldip was a man who looked at the facts and took a decision fast. He processed all his thoughts and came to the conclusion that three months in the life of the business would not mean much and that seeing the world would only widen his perspective.
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6. Kuldip was spending time between the shop, travelling along with Ajit Singh for his hands-on sales training and going to the factory sporadically. The job he liked the most, however, was sitting at his Hall Bazaar shop because he enjoyed dealing with customers.
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7. Kuldip’s enthusiasm was infectious. The market loved him. ‘People used to say “maal kahan bikta hai? Yeh to personality bikti hai ji [Kuldip sells his personality, not his material], laughed Kuldip. His forceful and friendly personality created almost instant bonds with the trade.
Want to know more about this man? Unstoppable is available now!
