Parag Desai, the executive director of Wagh Bakri Group, passed away in a private hospital in Ahmedabad on Sunday. On October 15, Desai, 49, was attacked by stray dogs outside his home. He suffered a brain hemorrhage as he fell on the road while being chased by stray dogs. He leaves behind his daughter Parisha and wife Vidisha.
Who Was Parag Desai?
Parag Desai was the executive director of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group. His father was Rasesh Desai, the managing director of the Wagh Bakri Group. Parag Desai, a fourth-generation Wagh Bakri Group entrepreneur, graduated with an MBA from Long Island University in New York. When Parag was a college student in the US, he would spend his weekends working as a sales representative of the Group, filling his car with tea samples and attempting to win over people from a country that loved coffee. And he managed to succeed.
Parag Desai was a master tea taster and evaluator. He oversaw the company's export, marketing, and sales divisions. His leadership brought about a tremendous transition for the Wagh Bakri Group. The company's global reach was enhanced by Desai's visionary approach, which led to its widespread recognition not only in India but also in other countries.
The company is credited with reaching new heights under Desai, who also turned it into the third-largest tea manufacturer in the nation. The company had a turnover of Rs. 100 crores when Desai joined in 1995. He guided the company to an annual turnover of above Rs 2,000 crore with his vision and diligence. Desai opened a number of tea lounges throughout India. In addition, he launched the e-commerce site buytea.com.
The Start Of Wagh Bakri Group
For the past four generations, the tea industry has been a part of the Desai family's business. Narandas Desai, Parag Desai's great-grandfather, was a South African tea plantation owner. Mahatma Gandhi awarded him a certificate there for being a seasoned tea farm owner in South Africa. Desai was, however, forced to flee South Africa and travel to India due to racial prejudice.
After returning to India, Narandas Desai established tea businesses in Ahmedabad. He started off selling open tea. Although his tea business saw many ups and downs, Wagh Bakri Group eventually rose to prominence as one of India's top tea companies. Presently, the Wagh Bakri group has a revenue of over Rs. 2000 crore with a presence in 24 states in India and exports to 60 countries globally. Wagh Bakri also has tea lounges and cafes all across the nation.
