Parag Desai (1974-2023) was an Indian businessman who served as executive director of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group. He died on October 22, 2023 from a cerebral hemorrhage while trying to protect himself from a stray dog on October 15, 2023.
Wiki/Biography
Parag Desai was born in 1974 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (age 49 at the time of death). He studied for a master’s degree in business administration at Long Island University in the United States.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′7″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Parag’s father, Rasesh Desai, was the managing director of Wagh Bakri Tea Group.
wife and children
Parag is married to Vidisha Desai.
Parag Desai and his wife
They have one daughter, Parisa Desai.
Parag Desai and his daughter
Profession
In 1995, Parag joined the family business “Wagh Bakri Tea Group”. He is the fourth generation member of the Desai family to join the business. The company focuses on selling packaged tea in India, becoming the first company to do so. When he joined, his main focus was branding, marketing and packaging, for which he hired professionals. He said in an interview that the company faced difficulties selling packaged tea because Indians at the time did not believe in buying packaged and branded tea. This issue was resolved after the Ahmedabad riots in 1985 when it was assured that the quality of packaged tea was the same as that of loose tea sold in shops. In the interview, he further added,
We have launched our packages in other parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. At the time, expansion was a problem because sales taxes differed from state to state. “
Parag heads the sales, marketing and export departments of the company. He worked to launch the tearoom and strengthen the company’s digital and social media presence. He has adopted innovative marketing, branding and packaging strategies for which he received an award from the Ahmedabad Management Association. He also expanded the business by introducing products such as iced tea and coffee. He has also worked as a tea sommelier and taster. He was inducted into Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He drinks 700 cups of tea every day. He said in an interview that he sold the first bag of tea in the United States in 1990 while on vacation with his family. While he was there, he realized that Indians living in the country used to buy tea but were asked to buy at least 20 kilograms, so he thought of selling 5 kilogram tea bags there. His idea came to fruition when he visited a grocery store, met a Gujarati man and sold tea to him. He also sells his tea bags in the UK. In the UK, he saw many Gujarati immigrants from Uganda who enjoyed drinking chai tea. So Parag met a shop clerk and sold him his tea bag.
die
Parag died on October 22, 2023, at Zydus Hospital in Gujarat due to cerebral hemorrhage. On October 15, 2023, some street dogs attacked him while he was taking his morning walk. He tried to escape the dogs and fell, injuring his head. He was immediately taken to Shelby Hospital after security notified his family of the incident. He was observed for a day and then transferred to Zydus Hospital for surgery. He remained on a ventilator for a week but died on October 22, 2023. His last rites were performed at Thaltej Crematorium. Shaktisinh Gohil, member of the Lok Sabha and president of the Gujarat Congress, expressed his condolences on Parag’s death and wrote on X:
Very sad news. Parag Desai, director and owner of Wagh Bakri Tea, passed away. He suffered a brain bleed after a fall. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to the entire Wagh Bakri family across India. “
Favorites
- Movies: Independence Day (1996), Jurassic Park series, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
- Gadgets: Samsung Galaxy E5, HTC M8, iPad Air
- Book: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
- Brands: Zara, Marks & Spencer, Nautica, Selfridges
Facts/Trivia
- Wagh Bakri celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020. The company is known for its very unique logo. It shows a tiger, representing the British, and a goat, representing the Indians, drinking tea from the same cup.
- When Parag joined the company, it was valued at Rs. 1 billion rupees. In 2023, the company’s turnover was Rs. 20 billion rupees. The company also distributes over 50 million kilograms of tea. The company operates in 24 states in India and exports to 60 countries.
- He enjoys traveling and is very interested in wildlife. He has been involved in many sustainable development projects.
- He is associated with charitable groups such as the Blind People’s Association (BPA) and the Jivdaya Charitable Trust, which runs an animal hospital in Ahmedabad.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education