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What began as a humble paan shop in the bylanes of Old Delhi in 1929 has today grown into a Rs 15,000-crore conglomerate. The Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group, known for brands that range from mouth fresheners to luxury products, has become one of India’s most diversified business empires. Bollywood stars Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra have also featured in advertisements for the brand. Birth of Dharampal Satyapal Group The journey started when Dharampal Sugandhi opened a small store named Sugandh, selling paan, perfumes, and incense sticks. The shop quickly became a neighbourhood favourite for its aromatic offerings. In 1958, his son Satyapal Sugandhi joined the business and soon launched Baba Zarda, a tobacco preparation used in paan. The product became so popular that even today, many people refuse to eat paan without it. Over the decades, the DS Group diversified beyond its traditional roots, expanding into food and beverages, confectionery, hospitality, and luxury retail. Today, it owns popular brands like Rajnigandha, Catch, Pulse, and Pass Pass, among others. The company’s rise has also caught social media’s attention. A post on Instagram celebrated the brand, saying, “The story went from a paan-gali to global luxury!” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anurag Singh Jakhad (@anurag_jakhad) Social Media Reactions People have given a shout-out to the success story. Some couldn’t believe that the company started as a tiny shop. For a section of people, it was a “true startup story.” Launch of Tulsi and Rajnigandha In 1979, the group launched Tulsi Paan Masala, followed by their most iconic product, Rajnigandha Paan Masala, in 1983. At a time when India’s paan masala market was highly competitive, Rajnigandha targeted the premium segment rather than the mass market. By using silver-coated cardamom, saffron, and A1-quality ingredients, the brand quickly became the market leader. Diversification of DS Group Today, the DS Group has expanded far beyond paan masala. It owns Pulse, one of India’s favourite candy brands, Catch spices, a household name in kitchens, and a growing chain of luxury hotels and French-style chocolatiers. In 2023, it introduced the Swiss chocolate brand Laderach to India and acquired the Indian confectionery brand LuvIt. Luxury Lifestyle In 2017, their vice chairman’s son tied the knot in St Moritz, Switzerland, with the entire town decorated in Indian style, and their wedding guests were flown to Milan, Italy, for shopping. Today, the DS Group holds an annual revenue of Rs 10,000 crore, with an ambitious target of Rs 20,000 crore. The family’s net worth is estimated at Rs 15,000 crore.
