A Journey well Travelled

Shri Balvantray Kalyanji Parekh

Founder Chairman of Pidilite Industries

1924-2013

pidilite-founder

It is difficult to capture the essence of a man in a few words, especially if he is Shri Balvantray Kalyanji Parekh, Founder Chairman of Pidilite Industries.

Fondly known to all as ‘BKP’ and ‘Balubhai’, he was a warm, loving and caring leader who inspired the lives of all those he touched.

To the people who knew BKP closely, he was an exceptional human being with a multifaceted persona. He reached out to all who came in touch with him and left an indelible print on them.

He has been described variously as a man with a “humane scientific temperament” and a man who was intent on “creating a legacy of knowledge and virtue”.

An avid reader and a lover of books, he had a keen interest in literature, medicine, psychology, general semantics, science and law that was reflected in his personal library.

A quote by Albert Einstein

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A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.

founder-quote

that B.K.P lived by

He has left behind his very own collection of 12 volumes of Gamtano Kariye Gulal that comprises of quotes, articles and poems that have inspired him and shaped him as a person.

A philanthropist who believed that money could enhance social values, he founded two schools, a college and a hospital in Mahuva.He established the Darshak Foundation for studies in cultural history of Gujarat and India and made a significant contribution to Bhavnagar’s science city project.

He also made endowments and provided valuable guidance to the Gram Nirman Samaj, Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, the Forbes Sabha and the Parichay Trust. Staying true to his belief in sharing the best of everything with others, he established Balvant Parekh Centre for General Semantics and Other Human Sciences for a better understanding of general semantics in India.

On 28th, October 2011, The Institute of General Semantics in Texas conferred on BKP the prestigious J Talbot Winchell Award, making him the first Asian to receive this honour.

His disarming smile and unassuming demeanour will continue to live in the memory of many people whose lives he touched and transformed.

How BKP Touched My Life

A great and unfortunately rare human being, a human and caring industrialist, he cared for people above profits, though his business profited greatly through his good works. He was greatly loved by all of his employees from drivers and cafeteria workers to top-level managers.May B. K. Parekh’s legacy of good works live on.

Bruce I. Kodish

With continued conversations, leading questions, and a bit of skillful probing I was able to get to what I believe to be the root of it all. His person knows a great deal about himself. And he keeps this knowledge this awareness, the common failings that all of us share, are not allowed to spoil or pollute the clarity of his generous actions.

Gieve Patel