There are some consumer products that have become an integral part of our life. One such product is Nirma detergent powder. There are a number of detergent powders in the market including those marketed by multinationals. But the total sales of all the other detergent powders combined is less than half the sales of Nirma. This makes it clear that the manufacturer of Nirma, Karsanbhai Patel, has displayed immense shrewdness. His life proves that if a person works hard, it is not difficult to put an idea into practice and become a success.
In 1966, Karsanbhai was working at a factory in Ahmedabad as a chemist and drawing a salary of Rs 150 per month. He found it hard to make both ends meet. So in his spare time he made detergent powder at home and went from door to door on his cycle selling his product. Soon he thought of expanding his business. So he began to sell the powder in packets. He had started a factory in the backyard of his home. Soon he began to supply the detergent to various shops in Ahmedabad. Nirma gradually became popular not only in small towns, but also in big cities. Karsanbhai’s product soon made its presence felt in the Indian market. Thus Karsanbhai was able to expand his business all over the country in a short span of time.
The secret of Karsanbhai’s success is that he made quality products available for the average customer at competitive prices. Consumers realised that instead of using a bar of detergent to scrub and clean dirty clothes, it was better to keep them soaked in a good and cheaper detergent. This compelled the multinational Hindustan Lever to rethink its products, strategies and policies. Today Nirma products are household names.