Sachin Soni at 16:21, 11 April 2026

2026-04-11T16:21:50Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Anurag kalya
| image = Portrait of Balvant Parekh.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = anurag kalya
| birth_date = {{birth date text|1925}}
| birth_place = [[Mahuva, Bhavnagar|Mahuva]], [[Gujarat]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|01|25|1925}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], India
| other_names = ''Fevicol Man''
<br>B K Parekh
| occupation =
| years_active =
| children = {{unbulleted list|[[Madhukar Parekh]]| Ajay Parekh| Kalpana Parekh}}
| known_for = Founder of [[Pidilite Industries]]
| notable_works =
}}

'''Balvantray Kalyanji Parekh''' (1925 – 25 January 2013) was an [[Indian people|Indian]] [[entrepreneur]] and founder of [[Pidilite Industries]]. He was known as the [[Fevicol]] Man.<ref>{{cite news|title=Balvant Parekh, India's Fevicol Man, Dies|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/naazneenkarmali/2013/01/27/balvant-parekh-indias-fevicol-man-dies/|access-date=2 March 2015|work=Forbes}}</ref>

==Early life==
Balvant was born in a [[Jainism|Jain]] family<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Business Tycoons {{!}} Best Online Business Magazine|url=https://www.thebusinesstycoons.com/chemical_sector_madhukar_parekh_cover_story.php|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.thebusinesstycoons.com|archive-date=20 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020052011/https://www.thebusinesstycoons.com/chemical_sector_madhukar_parekh_cover_story.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> in Mahuva town of [[Bhavnagar]] district [[Gujarat]], India. Balvant's grandfather was a [[magistrate]]. Balvant finished his initial school education in Mahuva and got his law degree from Government Law College [[Mumbai]]. While he was studying, Balvant married Kantaben. Balvant never practiced law and worked in a dyeing and printing press in [[Mumbai]]. He changed jobs as a [[peon]] in a wood trader’s office where he used to stay in the [[warehouse]] along with his wife. Balvant decided to start his own business with the help of investor Mohan and started importing cycle, [[areca nut]], paper dyes from [[western countries]]. After starting his business, Balvant moved to a flat in [[Sion, Mumbai|Sion]] [[Mumbai]] along with his wife, son and brother Sushil.

==Pidilite Industries ==
Balvant joined fifty-per-cent partnership with [[Germany|German]] firm [[Fedco]], which represented another German company [[Hoechst AG|Hoechst]]. In 1954 on invitation from the managing director of [[Hoechst AG|Hoechst]], Balvant went to Germany for a month. After the death of Hoechst managing director, the company decided to do direct business. In 1954 Balvant started [[trade|trading]] and manufacturing of dye and [[industrial chemicals]], [[pigment]] [[emulsions]] unit in Jacob circle [[Mumbai]] along with his brother Sushil, which he named Parekh Dyechem Industries.<ref>{{cite news|title=Balvant Parekh: A Legacy That Sticks|url=http://forbesindia.com/article/india-rich-list-2013/balvant-parekh-a-legacy-that-sticks/36497/1|accessdate=2 March 2015|work=Forbes|archive-date=8 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808072839/http://forbesindia.com/article/india-rich-list-2013/balvant-parekh-a-legacy-that-sticks/36497/1|url-status=dead}}</ref> Balvant started buying more stocks of Fedco and made a glue named [[Fevicol]]. The name of glue was inspired by [[German language|German]] word ‘Col’ meaning anything that bonds two things and the [[Germany|German]] company was making identical product named ‘Movicol’. Balvant’s younger brother Narendra Parekh also joined his business after finishing studies from United States. The company was later renamed as [[Pidilite Industries]] in 1959.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fevicol fame Pidilite Industry's founder Balvantbhai Parekh passes away|url=http://deshgujarat.com/2013/01/26/fevicol-fame-pidilite-industrys-founder-balvantbhai-parekh-passes-away/|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Desh Guarat}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Company History - Pidilite Industries Ltd.|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/pidilite-industries-ltd/infocompanyhistory/companyid-10460.cms|accessdate=2 March 2015|newspaper=The Economic Times}}</ref>

==Philanthropy==
Balvant had provided support in starting an Arts and Science college in Mahuva [[Gujarat]] India. He donated {{Indian rupee}}2 [[crore]] for [[Bhavnagar]]’s Science city project and also donated to Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. In 2009 Balvant founded Balvant Parekh Centre for [[General Semantics]] and Other Human Sciences in [[Baroda]] [[Gujarat]] India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Balvant Parekh Centre for General Semantics and Other Human Sciences|url=http://balvantparekhcentre.org.in/profile.htm|publisher=Balvant Parekh Centre|accessdate=2 March 2015|archive-date=9 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109082404/http://www.balvantparekhcentre.org.in/profile.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=School dropout who's all starry-eyed|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/School-dropout-whos-all-starry-eyed/articleshow/3802903.cms|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Times of India}}</ref>

==Awards and Recognitions==
* 1. J. Talbot Winchell Award in 2011<ref>{{cite news|title=Pidilite founder wins award|url=http://www.topnews.in/law/pidilite-founder-wins-award-264833|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Top News|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304135909/http://www.topnews.in/law/pidilite-founder-wins-award-264833|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2. Forbes India had placed him 45th on its annual rich list rankings<ref>{{cite news|title=Balvant Parekh - India's 100 Richest People|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/balvant-parekh/|accessdate=2 March 2015|work=Forbes}}</ref>

==Associations==
Balvant had served as the Chairman of Vinyl Chemicals India and the founder Chairman of [[Pidilite Industries]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Balvantray Kalyanji Parekh|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=8462191&ticker=VNYL:IN&previousCapId=171885&previousTitle=Cadbury%2520Limited|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Bloomberg}}</ref>

==Family==
Balvant had two sons [[Madhukar Parekh]] and Ajay Parekh both part of the family business [[Pidilite Industries]].,<ref>{{cite news|title=Sticking with Family: Glue Magnate and Family Business leader Dies|url=http://www.campdenfb.com/article/sticking-family-glue-magnate-and-family-business-leader-dies|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Campden|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120605/http://www.campdenfb.com/article/sticking-family-glue-magnate-and-family-business-leader-dies|url-status=dead}}</ref> and one daughter, Kalpana Parekh. Balvant was close friend of [[Dhirubhai Ambani]] founder of [[Reliance Industries]] and lived in the same apartment block in Usha Kiran building on [[Carmichael Road]] [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Fevicol fame Pidilite Industry's founder Balvantbhai Parekh|url=http://deshgujarat.com/2013/01/26/fevicol-fame-pidilite-industrys-founder-balvantbhai-parekh-passes-away/|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Desh Gujarat}}</ref>

Balvant died on 25 January 2013 at the age of 88.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kar |first=Prafulla C. |title=Obituary notice (Balvant K. Parekh: 1924-2013) |journal=ETC: A Review of General Semantics |volume=70 |issue=1 |year=2013 |page=69 |url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A326660526/AONE?sid=wikipedia |accessdate=28 April 2019 |via=[[Academic Onefile]]}} {{Subscription required}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parekh, Balvant}}
[[Category:Businesspeople from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Indian billionaires]]
[[Category:Indian industrialists]]
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian Jains]]
[[Category:Gujarati businesspeople]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Gujarat]]

Balvant Parekh - Revision history

Sachin Soni at 16:21, 11 April 2026