New Delhi: Ashwin Dani, who spearheaded homegrown paints firm Asian Paints based by his father within the Forties, handed away on Thursday on the age of 81. He served because the non-executive director of the corporate.

Dani was instrumental in constructing the nation’s paints business, capitalizing on the demand of India’s rising center class. Asian Paints was co-founded by Dani’s father in 1942 with three different companions.

A practitioner of Iyengar Yoga, Dani held numerous roles at Asian Paints, an organization he joined in 1968 as a senior govt. He oversaw profitable joint ventures and the agency’s growth into a variety of companies, in addition to a push into rural markets.

According to the 2022 Forbes itemizing of India’s 100 richest, Dani’s internet value was estimated at ₹67,841.77 crore, making him the twentieth richest particular person in India.

Dani has additionally held unbiased directorships on the boards of a number of main listed Indian firms.

Dani began his profession in 1967 as a improvement chemist with Inmont Corp (an industrial coatings producer now generally known as BASF) in Detroit, USA. He joined Asian Paints as a senior govt in 1968 and moved via successive senior positions, equivalent to director of R&D, works director, and whole-time director. Dani served on the board of the corporate in numerous capacities, together with vice chairman and managing director, non-executive vice chairman, and non-executive chairman.

In FY23, Asian Paints reported revenues of ₹29,953 crore with a internet revenue of ₹4,100.2 crore, making it the biggest paint firm in India.

He pioneered the thought of computerized colour matching within the Indian business. This idea is now broadly used throughout industries within the discipline of paints, plastics, printing inks, and textiles. Asian Paints was the primary paint firm in India, and even in Asia, to implement this idea in 1975. Dani was additionally instrumental in shifting the packaging of water-thinnable paints for ornamental functions from steel to plastic containers.

In 1997, Dani led the establishing of the 50:50 three way partnership between Asian Paints Ltd. and PPG Industries Inc., USA, for industrial coatings. He was the founder director on the board of the primary three way partnership firm with PPG Industries Inc, PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., which is at present in its twenty sixth yr of operations.

Dani was additionally the founder-promoter of Loctite India Private Limited (now Henkel Adhesive Technologies India Private Limited).

Business pursuits apart, Dani was additionally a follower and practitioner of Iyengar Yoga—a observe he embraced after an episode of slipped disc led him to find the observe in 1980. “Right away, I got 75% relief and never saw the physiotherapist again. I began to practice three-four asanas daily and began to reap the benefits,” Dani mentioned in a 2007 interview with Mint. Dani was a disciple of BKS Iyengar for a few years. In truth, in 1998, Dani and his spouse arrange the Iyengar Yoga Centre on the primary ground of their residence, Home Villa.

Dani was additionally strongly related to numerous authorities and commerce our bodies all through his skilled profession, such because the President’s Advisory Council of The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA; the Central Board of Trustees—Employees Provident Fund of the Government of India; Vice President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI); Board of Governors of the U.D.C.T. (Currently Institute of Chemical Technology) Alumni Association; and Board of Management of Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai.

Dani’s two sons at the moment are actively concerned in Asian Paints. His son Jalaj takes care of worldwide markets, and his son Malav not too long ago joined the corporate’s board as a non-executive director.

Dani had a BSc (Hons) from the Institute of Science, University of Bombay, in addition to a BSc (Tech) (Pigments, Paints & Varnishes) from the U.D.C.T, University of Bombay. He pursued a Master’s in Polymer Science from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, US, in addition to a diploma in Color Science from Ren Rensellaer Polytechnic, Troy, New York.