More Than Glue: A Legacy Of Holding Indian Families Together

The Indian glue or adhesive industry has almost become synonymous with the brand Fevicol as the product has, over the years, captured a sizable share of the market. Right from shops to factories and households, Fevicol has been one of the most trusted adhesives in the Indian market for decades.

But the story behind the inception of the leading brand, spearheaded by founder and chairman Balvant Parekh, is still not widely known.

The first-generation business owner overcame a number of challenges to build a successful company with a million-dollar annual revenue that is now a cult favourite. This may come as a shocker but the chairman of Fevicol was once upon a time, a peon by profession.

Balvant Parekh was a Jain by birth. He was impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement while he was still in school and quit to join the liberation movement. He participated in a number of movements at that time and after actively taking part in a number of social projects, he returned from Mumbai after completing his studies. (Image: Pidilite)

After earning his law degree from Government Law College in Mumbai, he worked in a printing and dyeing press there. After earning his legal degree, he got married and began working as a peon in a timber company. He used to reside along with his wife at the wood trader’s warehouse where he worked. (File Photo)

Balvant decided to start his own business and started importing cycle, areca nut and paper colours from the West with the help of an investor. After starting his business, Balvant, his wife, child and brother Sushil moved into a flat in Sion, Mumbai. In 1954, he joined Parekh Dychem Industries in Mumbai, where he and his brother Sushil Parekh started manufacturing pigment emulsions for textile printing. (Image: Pidilite)

Ultimately Balwant Parekh founded Pidilite in 1959, whose most famous product was (and still is) the adhesive Fevicol. Fevicol nearly started a market revolution. Carpenters, engineers, artisans, business owners and even regular people started using Fevicol, which is currently available in 54 nations. The market value of Pidilite Industries is currently estimated to be around Rs 1.24 trillion, according to a DNA report. (Image: Pidilite)

Parekh loved to read and was an avid book enthusiast. His personal library revealed his passion for literature, science, law, general semantics, medicine and psychology. On October 28, 2011, he became the first Asian to win the prestigious J Talbot Winchell Award from The Institute of General Semantics in Texas. He passed away on January 25, 2013, leaving behind a huge legacy. (Image: Pidilite)

Starting in 2006, the brand shifted its attention towards global growth, establishing manufacturing facilities in various locations including the US, Thailand, Dubai, Egypt, and Bangladesh. Complementing this expansion, the company also started a research centre in Singapore. Through ingenious advertising campaigns, Pidilite Industries transformed an ostensibly mundane product into a premier brand.