From Rangwalas to Berger Paints
By
Sonu Bhasin
From Rangwalas to Berger Paints
From Rangwalas to Berger Paints
The Legacy of Niranjan Singh
Niranjan Singh, the father of Kuldip and Gurbachan Dhingra, was the fourth son of Bhai Kesar Singh. At the time of Partition, Niranjan Singh was a young and ambitious 27-year-old. He saw an opportunity to further grow the business in the new India. He requested his father, Kesar Singh, to allow him to expand in Delhi, and his wish was granted. Niranjan Singh established a factory in the Najafgarh Industrial area and purchased another shop in Old Delhi for paint distribution. However, he was not content with these achievements and desired to expand the business even further, including ventures overseas.
The love and respect Kuldip holds for his father is evident in his voice when speaking about him. However, there is also a hint of regret, as his father passed away at a very young age. Kuldip was only 10 years old at the time of his father’s death.
During that period, Kuldip was not in Delhi. He was attending an Army Boarding School in Ajmer, as his father had unilaterally decided that he wanted Kuldip to pursue a career in the military. However, Niranjan Singh was not an entirely autocratic father. “He used to indulge me a lot,” recalls Gurbachan with a fond smile, adding, “Once, I wanted a monkey as a pet, and he actually got me one!”
“One day, I was told to pack my bags,” remembers Kuldip. He was sent to Delhi accompanied by a school staff. “I was only 10 years old,” he recalls vividly. “When I reached the gate of our house in Golf Links, my cousin told me, ‘Your father is dead.'” The shock that young Kuldip must have experienced is still evident in his voice.
Gurbachan was even younger and doesn’t recall much about his father’s death. However, he can still sense the palpable shock that affected the entire family, even as an eight-year-old. “My younger sister Ashi, who was five years old at the time, and I were told to sit in a corner, and we did as we watched our elders,” recalls Gurbachan. The eldest brother, Sohan Singh, was away studying at IIT Kharagpur.
Niranjan Singh was only 37 years old when he died.
With the passing of the patriarch, the thriving business came to a sudden halt. “My mother was in a state of shock, and business was the last thing on her mind,” says Kuldip. “But she wanted her family by her side, so she called me back from Ajmer and enrolled me in Delhi Public School,” recalls Kuldip. Kuldip and Gurbachan’s uncles assisted the young widow in winding up the business in Delhi. She was left with the 1898 Paint Shop in Amritsar, which was managed by the Working Partners. Later, another paint shop was purchased from Kuldip’s older uncles.
With two shops in Amritsar, the family decided to relocate there to be closer to the business. Sohan Singh, the eldest son of the young widow, had graduated from IIT Kharagpur and instead of seeking employment elsewhere, he chose to manage the paints distribution business in Amritsar.
The Working Partners continued working in collaboration with Sohan Singh, and the distribution business flourished. However, Sohan Singh, the third generation of the Kesar Singh lineage, had a strong desire to revive the Family Business. Sohan’s father had established and operated a factory, and he wanted to start one as well. “But we had no money to purchase land,” Gurbachan states matter-of-factly.
“My brother rented a small shed on the outskirts of Amritsar and set up a paints factory in 1962. It was only 15 ft by 30 ft,” recalls Gurbachan. Despite the modest size, the legacy of their grandfather was kept alive, and the factory was named UK Paints. Sohan Singh produced paint in his shed-factory and also managed the shop for sales. The two shops, which had previously sold paints from other companies, began promoting their own brand of paint, Rajdoot Paints, to customers. The business experienced significant growth.
During this time, young Kuldip completed his ISC examinations in Amritsar. “It was December 1963, the day my exams ended, and my brother said, ‘Come and sit at the shop now,'” Kuldip laughs and adds, “My brother was waiting for me to finish school.” However, Kuldip was not ready to join the business just yet. He was a young boy who had just completed high school, and he wanted to experience life before immersing himself in the daily routine of the factory and the shop. He informed his brother that he wanted to pursue his graduation before joining the business.
Sohan Singh, an IIT graduate, responded, “Look at me. I went to IIT, but I still work at the shop. What’s the point of all this studying? It’s all useless.” But Kuldip persisted and requested three years from his brother. Sohan Singh relented and said, “I need you desperately, but go and study. Just come back as soon as possible.” While waiting for Kuldip to return to Amritsar, Sohan Singh involved their youngest brother in the business. “I remember studying and then sitting at the shop,” says Gurbachan. “Kuldip bhapaji went off to study,” he adds.
Kuldip graduated from Hindu College, Delhi, in 1967 and returned to Amritsar. “I have observed your life, and I know that once I join you, I’ll be confined to the factory and the shop,” Kuldip told his elder brother, who nodded in agreement. Kuldip then requested one more chance from Sohan Singh to explore the world.
“I wanted to travel and see the world, and I knew that if I didn’t do it then, I never would have,” says Kuldip. Once Sohan Singh agreed to let him go, he embarked on a six-month journey across Asia and Europe, hitchhiking along the way.
“I had a sleeping bag and a few dollars in my pocket,” recalls Kuldip. He traveled from Bombay to Khorramshahr on a cargo ship that was also transporting a large number of Muslim pilgrims. From there, Kuldip hitchhiked through Iran and Turkey before crossing into Europe. Despite the presence of the Iron Curtain, it didn’t deter him from traveling through Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, and further on to Austria, Germany, and France. He formed strong friendships during his backpacking adventure, and one of those friends proved helpful in later years. While living frugally, Kuldip eventually ran out of money and took up jobs in Paris and Holland to support himself. “I didn’t want to ask my family for money,” explains Kuldip. Interestingly, Kuldip didn’t stay in Europe due to a fortuitous turn of events.
