MDH (spice company)

Mahashian Di Hatti Private Limited, doing business as MDH, is an Indian spice producer and seller based in New Delhi, India. It is the second largest leader in the Indian market with 12% market share, following S. Narendrakumar's Everest Spices.

It was founded by Dharampal Gulati in 1959, who served as its CEO until his death on 3 December 2020, Subsequently, Dharampal's son, Rajeev Gulati, took over the company and became the face of the MDH brand.

History
Mahashay Chunnilal Gulati set up the masala company in 1919 in Sialkot, British India currently located in the Punjab province of Pakistan since 1947. It is associated with Mahashay Chunnilal Charitable Trust.

Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, the son of the founder moved to Delhi after the partition of India. He opened a shop in a shack and started selling spices like his father. He later opened his shop at Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh and expanded from there. In 1959 he bought a plot in Kirti Nagar to set up his own spice factory.

From there, he built the entire group to one of India's leading spices manufacturers expanding to 15 factories. Speaking to The Economic Times last year, he said, "My motivation to work is being sincere in product quality sold at affordable prices. And nearly 90% of my salary goes to charity in my personal capacity."

At the age of 94, Dharam Pal was the highest paid Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) CEO in India in 2017. He took home over inr 210000000 as salary in the last fiscal year. Two years later, on 16 March 2019, the 14th President of India Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Padma Bhushan award for Trade & Industry.

Current status
MDH today has a range of 62 products available in over 150 different packages. These include ground and blended spices, which are free of preservatives. MDH also sells other products, such as saffron.

MDH is one of India's biggest spice producer and seller. It not just has a user base in India but also overseas. In 2022, there were rumours of it being sold to Unilever. MDH however has refuted all the false rumours.

Charity work
MDH under the leadership of Mahashay Dharampal Gulati has developed more than 20 schools including MDH International School, Mahashay Chunnilal Saraswati Shishu Mandir (named after his late father), Mata Lilawati Kanya Vidyalaya (named after his late wife), and Mahashay Dharampal Vidya Mandir etc.

He started a 10-bed eye hospital at Arya Samaj, Subhash Nagar, in November 1975. Later in January 1984, a 20-bed hospital was established in Janakpuri, New Delhi to commemorate his late mother Mata Chanan Devi. Now it has 300 beds on about 5 acre of land, the hospital is equipped with MRI, CT scan, Heart Wing, Neuro Sciences, IVF etc.

Controversies
In May 2024, New Zealand's food safety regulator said it was investigating contamination in spice products of Indian brands MDH and Everest. Its products were recalled by regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore for containing ethylene oxide.