India Untold
Qimat Rai Gupta, from a humble background, transformed Havells from a small business to a global brand through hard work and vision.
Qimat Rai Gupta began his business journey in 1958 with only ₹10,000, and today his company is among India's leading electrical companies.
Born in 1937, Qimat Rai Gupta left his studies in 1958 and came to Delhi, starting a small electrical trading business named "Guptaji & Company" in Bhagirath Palace.
The year 1971 was a turning point for Qimat Rai Gupta when he bought the Havells brand for Rs 7 lakh. Havells was founded by Haveli Ram Gandhi, not Qimat Rai Gupta.
Initially, Qimat Rai Gupta was a distributor for Havells, but later he bought it and expanded it on a large scale.
To make Havells a market leader, Qimat Rai Gupta expanded the company beyond just switches to include wires, lighting, fans, geysers, and other appliances.
Havells opened several modern factories in India, improving quality. It increased dealerships across the country to strengthen the distribution network.
Compared to other companies, Havells focused more on advertising, which strengthened its brand identity.
In 1992, Anil Rai Gupta joined the company and learned the nuances of the business from his father.
Anil Rai Gupta is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of Havells India Ltd.
Qimat Rai Gupta passed away in 2014 at the age of 77. At that time, his total assets were Rs 16,000 crore.