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The Rise of Asian Paints: Champaklal Choksey, a Doyen of the Indian Paints Industry
Asian Paints is India’s largest paints company and its early history is hardly known; even less is known about how Champaklal Choksey and his friends made Asian Paints the largest paints company in as far back as 1967. There are many lessons that are relevant even today – from investing in high quality talent to separating management and ownership. Most importantly, there are very few books that show how honest businessmen can – and should – build large-scale institutions that endure beyond their lifetime, just as Champaklal Choksey has done. This book tells the story of an iconic institution and its less-known but visionary founder.
- GenresBusiness
288 pages, Hardcover
Published June 17, 2024
6 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 19, 2024
It is the story of a company started as a small set up and its rise to be a Giant. I must say, author's style of writing is lucid and matter of fact.
The narrative systemically unfolded the journey with its people as per the time frame. The appendices provided some additional information. I was tickled pink to find that my name made an entry into this book through the reference of my Father-in-law Dr. K.G.Kudva who is referred to as highly educated and decorated. He worked as a technical director at Asian paints.
I suggested a few things that could have been added perhaps in the next edition vis-a-vis Dr. K.G.Kudva. An interesting read. A Page turner.
The narrative systemically unfolded the journey with its people as per the time frame. The appendices provided some additional information. I was tickled pink to find that my name made an entry into this book through the reference of my Father-in-law Dr. K.G.Kudva who is referred to as highly educated and decorated. He worked as a technical director at Asian paints.
I suggested a few things that could have been added perhaps in the next edition vis-a-vis Dr. K.G.Kudva. An interesting read. A Page turner.
September 29, 2024
Studying the rise of industry giants is crucial for understanding their strategies and the secrets behind their consistent growth and success. The story of Asian Paints is one such inspiring example, offering valuable insights into how Champaklal Choksey and his 3 friends started a paint company in a small garage in Mumbai.
The Founders saw an opportunity due to the high demand for affordable and quality paints in Indian households. During World War II, foreign paint imports were restricted, creating a gap in the market. Asian Paints initially focused on providing quality paints at a lower price, which helped them capture the attention of middle-class Indian consumers.
What I learned from this book:
- Choksey was a visionary, unafraid to take bold risks, and his gambles often paid off thanks to his intuition and a stroke of luck.
- The founders prioritized hiring top professionals, over family members, a rare move in Indian family-run businesses. They recruited leading chemists from the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) and conducted recruitment drives at IIM-A for top MBAs.
- Choksey believed in the importance of strong family bonds, ensuring that while each family unit had its own space, family dinners were always shared together.
- When he noticed a decline in the company’s productivity, Choksey took charge personally, stepping in to manage operations himself and turning things around.
- Under Choksey’s leadership, Asian Paints grew steadily and became the leading paint company in India by the 1960s. The company’s focus on customer satisfaction, innovative products, and a well-established distribution network contributed to its success. Today, Asian Paints is one of the largest paint companies in the world, continuing to dominate the Indian market.
I could see the amount of research Anupam has put in by interviewing the family members and the employees who worked directly under Choksey.
This book offers rich insights into leadership, strategy, and innovation, making it an inspiring read for business enthusiasts and entrepreneurs alike.
The Founders saw an opportunity due to the high demand for affordable and quality paints in Indian households. During World War II, foreign paint imports were restricted, creating a gap in the market. Asian Paints initially focused on providing quality paints at a lower price, which helped them capture the attention of middle-class Indian consumers.
What I learned from this book:
- Choksey was a visionary, unafraid to take bold risks, and his gambles often paid off thanks to his intuition and a stroke of luck.
- The founders prioritized hiring top professionals, over family members, a rare move in Indian family-run businesses. They recruited leading chemists from the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) and conducted recruitment drives at IIM-A for top MBAs.
- Choksey believed in the importance of strong family bonds, ensuring that while each family unit had its own space, family dinners were always shared together.
- When he noticed a decline in the company’s productivity, Choksey took charge personally, stepping in to manage operations himself and turning things around.
- Under Choksey’s leadership, Asian Paints grew steadily and became the leading paint company in India by the 1960s. The company’s focus on customer satisfaction, innovative products, and a well-established distribution network contributed to its success. Today, Asian Paints is one of the largest paint companies in the world, continuing to dominate the Indian market.
I could see the amount of research Anupam has put in by interviewing the family members and the employees who worked directly under Choksey.
This book offers rich insights into leadership, strategy, and innovation, making it an inspiring read for business enthusiasts and entrepreneurs alike.
November 19, 2024
-A Thousand Mile Long Journey-
Review of 'The rise of Asian Paints'
I've lately developed a newfound curiosity for the stories behind brands, particularly Indian brands. Their origin stories are no less than dramatic novels, complete with ambition, obstacles and achievements. It is these stories of genesis that although exist in the realm of non-fiction, provide their readers with the reading high equivalent to that of a skillfully written novel.
This story is a biography of Champaklal Choksey, one of the four founding partners of Asian Paints. The author has compiled the stories and anecdotes after conducting extensive interviews with the Choksey family, friends and a few corporate compatriots. The author, in the beginning of the book, states that it relies on data and materials from annual reports, newspaper archives and various other sources. This book also relies on an older, undated biography that was written in Gujarati for Champakbhai’s family, titled Champakbhai Choksey: Another name for Asian (Paints).
The author starts the story at the very beginning, highlighting Choksey's childhood briefly and then writing about his foraying into the business. But before that, he drops a bomb in the prologue, mentioning the mysterious incident when Chokesey sold his shares in 1997. What could have led to this? The author patiently solves this puzzle.
Gupta has masterfully sketched the picture of one of the heavyweights of the Indian industrial scene. Although Asian Paint is the number one company of paints in India, not many people know Choksey like Tata and Birla. Gupta painstakingly draws a portrait of not only the company but the mind behind it too.
Not to be missed if you are interested in the stories of Indian grit and gumption.
Review of 'The rise of Asian Paints'
I've lately developed a newfound curiosity for the stories behind brands, particularly Indian brands. Their origin stories are no less than dramatic novels, complete with ambition, obstacles and achievements. It is these stories of genesis that although exist in the realm of non-fiction, provide their readers with the reading high equivalent to that of a skillfully written novel.
This story is a biography of Champaklal Choksey, one of the four founding partners of Asian Paints. The author has compiled the stories and anecdotes after conducting extensive interviews with the Choksey family, friends and a few corporate compatriots. The author, in the beginning of the book, states that it relies on data and materials from annual reports, newspaper archives and various other sources. This book also relies on an older, undated biography that was written in Gujarati for Champakbhai’s family, titled Champakbhai Choksey: Another name for Asian (Paints).
The author starts the story at the very beginning, highlighting Choksey's childhood briefly and then writing about his foraying into the business. But before that, he drops a bomb in the prologue, mentioning the mysterious incident when Chokesey sold his shares in 1997. What could have led to this? The author patiently solves this puzzle.
Gupta has masterfully sketched the picture of one of the heavyweights of the Indian industrial scene. Although Asian Paint is the number one company of paints in India, not many people know Choksey like Tata and Birla. Gupta painstakingly draws a portrait of not only the company but the mind behind it too.
Not to be missed if you are interested in the stories of Indian grit and gumption.
August 12, 2024
The Rise Of Asian Paints by Anupam Gupta-
For a curious reader, a marketing professional this book can be perused as a case study of a leading paint brand. For others it can become a source of inspiration. For a business leader it carries timeless lessons in the art of building a leading brand. It is a riveting entrepreneurial legacy.
Anupam Gupta, has undergone the painstaking and rigorous endeavour of interviewing varied individuals, scan through news journals, understand the market needs and contemporary social, economical and political environment when penning the biography of Champaklal Choksey in the book The Rise Of Asian Paints.
The Rise of Asian Paints follows the emergence of one of the founders of Asian Paints- Champaklal Choksey. With rise of Champakbhai, Asian Paints too saw the light of the day and steadily soared higher in the market. Later it became one of India's first, oldest and most trusted paint brands. As we go through the chapters, we learn not just about its inception, but the highs and the lows, the achievements and the failures, the establishments and the disagreements, and finally the end of Champakbhai's legacy. ©
READ THE ENTIRE BOOK REVIEW HERE 👇
https://ofbookbabiesandmore.wordpress...
For a curious reader, a marketing professional this book can be perused as a case study of a leading paint brand. For others it can become a source of inspiration. For a business leader it carries timeless lessons in the art of building a leading brand. It is a riveting entrepreneurial legacy.
Anupam Gupta, has undergone the painstaking and rigorous endeavour of interviewing varied individuals, scan through news journals, understand the market needs and contemporary social, economical and political environment when penning the biography of Champaklal Choksey in the book The Rise Of Asian Paints.
The Rise of Asian Paints follows the emergence of one of the founders of Asian Paints- Champaklal Choksey. With rise of Champakbhai, Asian Paints too saw the light of the day and steadily soared higher in the market. Later it became one of India's first, oldest and most trusted paint brands. As we go through the chapters, we learn not just about its inception, but the highs and the lows, the achievements and the failures, the establishments and the disagreements, and finally the end of Champakbhai's legacy. ©
READ THE ENTIRE BOOK REVIEW HERE 👇
https://ofbookbabiesandmore.wordpress...
November 8, 2025
Asian Paints stands as a behemoth in the Indian paint industry, and this book will undoubtedly appeal to anyone interested in the backstories of such iconic organizations — what drives them, what defines their DNA, and what sets them apart. The author here details the leadership of one of the founders and future Chairman Champakbhai which played a pivotal part in putting Asian Paints on the global map. It talks about the strategies that the company explored, something not done that commonly back then by promoter-owned companies such as setting up senior management team of professionals, and going to top tier colleges for quality resources. The book does a fine job of portraying both sides of Champakbhai’s leadership: the firmness required to pursue his vision and the warmth he showed toward employees and dealers, whom he treated like family. Some sections feel repetitive, and a tighter edit could have elevated the reading experience. However, given how rare such detailed business histories are in India, this book is a valuable and engaging addition to the genre. Overall, I appreciated the author’s effort and thoroughly enjoyed learning about the remarkable journey of Asian Paints.
January 1, 2025
Sadly that there is only one book about one of the best run companies in India. The book is told from the perspective of only one family out of four. There are not even biographical sketches of the other founders while there are some of the early IIM hires. Penguin is a great publisher, surprised how they could publish such a bad book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews