New Delhi, Feb. 15 -- In the normal course, a company that makes adhesives, sealants, construction and other industrial chemicals is likely to be consigned to the pages of commercial handbooks, of interest to carpenters and woodworkers. That Pidilite, the unquestioned market leader in these areas, and its brands like Fevicol and MSeal are top of mind for most Indian consumers is a perfect tribute to the marketing genius of Balvantray Kalyanji Parekh, the man who set it up in 1959.

The white synthetic resin he started manufacturing four years later at the company's first plant in Kondivita Village, Mumbai, is today a generic term for adhesives, a go-to resource for anyone looking to glue things together. The original product was solidly u...