My brother who met the shop owner, bought Vijay Mallya’s failed company and built it into a company of 68,000 crore with a net worth of rupees…
The family’s involvement in the paint business dates back to 1898, when their grandfather opened a small shop in Amritsar. After graduating from DU, the brothers expanded their family business by opening new stores in Amritsar, and by the 1970s the business had an annual revenue of Rs 1 million.
Kuldip Singh Dhingra and Gurbachan Singh Dhingra (known as Dhingra Brothers) played a major role in transforming Berger Paints into an industry powerhouse that is only next to Asian paint. By 2023, Berger Paints reported Rs 10,619 crore in revenue. The company’s coverage expands internationally and operates in countries such as Russia, Poland, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The Dhingra family’s involvement in the paint business dates back to 1898, when their grandfather opened a small shop in Amritsar. After graduating from Delhi University, Kuldip and Gurbachan expanded their family business by opening new stores in Amritsar, and by the 1970s the business had an annual revenue of about Rs 1 million. Their ambitions quickly brought them abroad, and by the 1980s they had become the largest paint exporter in the Soviet Union, with an annual export value of Rs 3 billion.
In the 1990s, when the brothers acquired Berger paintings from Vijay Mallya’s UB Group, it was a decisive moment. The acquisition marks the beginning of a new era for the company. Utilizing innovative marketing strategies and committed to delivering quality products at affordable prices, Dhingra Brothers revitalizes Berger Paints, building strong brand loyalty in India and abroad.
Under their leadership, Berger Paints not only expanded its product range, but also established joint ventures with international companies such as Japanese paint in Japan and Becker Paint in Sweden, and made substantial acquisitions, including Bolix SA in Poland and Jansen and Nicholson Nepal. The company has also been a leader in industrial and decorative coatings, contributing to major infrastructure projects in India.
Today, Kuldip Singh Dhingra serves as chairman and Gurbachan Singh Dhingra serves as vice chairman of Berger Paints. According to Forbes, their total net worth is estimated at US$7.5 billion (about Rs 63.8 billion) as of 2024. The next generation is also actively involved, with Kurdeep’s daughter Rishma Kaur and Gurbachan’s son Kanwardip Singhra serving as executive director of the company Kolkata Headquarters.
