This man started as peon, took part in freedom movement, then built Rs 157000 crore empire, his product is sold in 54 countries, it is...

Fevicol is one of the most trusted glue brands in India, known to almost every household. But not many people know the inspiring story of the man who started it — Balvant Parekh, fondly remembered as "India’s Fevicol Man." The brand, owned by Pidilite Industries, was introduced in 1959 and is now sold in 54 countries and available in over 50,000 locations in India.

Balvant Parekh was born in Mahuva, Gujarat, in a Jain family during the time of India’s freedom struggle. As a young man, he took part in the Quit India Movement. Although he studied law in Mumbai to fulfill his family’s wishes, his heart was always in business. After graduating, he didn’t start as a lawyer. Instead, he worked in a printing press, took a job as a peon, and even traveled to Germany, where he learned a lot about global business practices.

He started his business journey by importing items like cycles, paper dyes, and areca nuts with help from an investor named Mohan. Later in 1959, he launched Fevicol, a user-friendly adhesive mainly for carpenters. This was also the birth of Pidilite Industries. Over time, Pidilite introduced more products like Feviquick, Fevicryl, and M-Seal, becoming a leader in India's adhesive market.

Balvant Parekh was not just a businessman, he also supported education. He helped start an Arts and Science college in Mahuva and donated Rs 20 million to a science project in Bhavnagar. In 2009, he established the Balvant Parekh Centre for General Semantics in Baroda.

In 2011, he became the first Asian to receive the J Talbot Winchell Award from the Institute of General Semantics in Texas. When he passed away in 2013, his family was worth USD 1.36 billion, and he was 45th on Forbes’ India Rich List.

Today, Pidilite Industries is valued at around Rs 1.57 lakh crore, and its sales and assets continue to grow year by year, a true symbol of Balvant Parekh’s legacy.