Muthedat Pantjan Ramachandran also known as MP Ramachandran is the Chairman and Managing Director of Jyoti Laboratories. The business is India's fifth largest FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company.

A post-graduate in financial management from Mumbai University, Ramachandran founded Jyoti Laboratories in 1983. His daughter's name is also Rs. 40,000. Today, the company's market capitalization is more than USD 350 million. It is the recipient of huge foreign investments such as Actis and Baring.

Ramachandran, who was an accountant before founding Jyoti Labours, is known for his unchanging dressing – a white shirt with white trousers, which he never tires of wearing.

His passion for the color white led to the creation of 'Ujala'. He has a good idea of what a consumer needs from a fabric whitener so he washes his clothes. He struggled to find the perfect shade of white.

The brand promise of "Chair Bound Walla" communicated the brand's key promise of ease of use through simple telegraphic communication. Although the brand uses the four-point narrative across all media, television is central to its marketing efforts. Today Ujala holds 72% of the fabric whiteners market. The annual turnover of the brand is around Rs.300 crores.

Jyoti detergents, Ujala laundry powder, Ujala Stiff-and-Shine, and Ujala Techno Rite as well as dishwasher Exo, mosquito repellent Maxo have tried to diversify over the years, but this proved difficult due to intense competition. However, the company's dishwasher 'Exo' managed to beat 'Vim' in Kerala.

Jyoti has tremendous reach in rural India and around 70% of its sales are from rural India. It's the reverse for Henkel, whose 70% of sales come from urban India. Jyoti hopes that this will be a catalyst for Jyoti to cross-pollinate networks and create a wider footprint.

Many observers have warned that Ramachandran's emotional tendencies may turn out to be his weakness. Jyoti's acquisition of Henkel India, which lost 50.9 per cent in the recent deal, has been controversial, but the company has agreed. It's just a justified move for a decades-old company.

Jyoti, which was a debt-free company till now, has now acquired a debt of Rs 400 crore by acquiring Henkel India. Although the FMCG company is known for its conservative outlook, the acquisition of Henkel was not an unplanned decision. Henkel is a loss-making company, but the brands are strong, according to the audit. Ramachandran believes that Jyoti's success in the recent acquisition of Henkel India is due to the interplay between national sentiments and fraternal sentiments.

Jyoti's portfolio is a good fit for Henkel, which has brands like Prill, Margo and Henco. Ramachandran plans to start manufacturing Henkel brands at Jyoti's 28 manufacturing plants spread across India. It has a strong competitor to protect Hindustan Unilever, which monitors its every move.

Already, the company is working on a new brand strategy. Henko Champion and Mr. White are their priority. They are Henkel's biggest contributors. The company wants to eliminate what it calls unnecessary administrative costs.

Jyoti Laboratories can leverage Henkel India's acquisition. Jyoti should demonstrate the same dedication to Henkel brands. It was a bold acquisition that pushed the company outside its comfort zone.

The good news is that Henkel's brands need the energy and focus that Jyoti brings to their brands. It has products and plans, but only time will tell how far the brands will go.

Ramachandran, 65, is not interested in selling any brands or the company he created. "So far we haven't sold any brands," he said. It is about emotions. Ujala and some other homegrown entrepreneurs can teach multinational companies lessons about how to view advertising as an investment rather than an expense.