Malav A. Dani is an Indian businessman and entrepreneur. He is the second-generation scion of the Dani family, one of the founding families of Asian Paints Ltd. He is a Non-executive Director and Chairman of CSR Committee at Asian Paints. He is also a Managing Director of BSE-listed plastic and packaging company Hitech Corporation Limited.
Wiki/Biography
Malav Ashwin Dani was born on Wednesday, 26 November 1975 (age 48 years, as of 2023) in Mumbai. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. From 1995 to 1999, he pursued a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Business Management at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, US. He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Columbia Business School, New York, US (2002 – 2004).
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5
Hair Colour:
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Family
He belongs to a Hindu Jain family. His grandfather hailed from Kapadvanj, a historic town in the Kheda district of Gujarat.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Ashwin Dani (1944–2023), was the non-executive chairman of Asian Paints Ltd. He passed away after a brief illness on 28 September 2023.
Indian businessman Ashwin Suryakant Dani
His mother’s name is Ina Dani. She is a keen yoga practitioner and adherent follower of yoga teacher B. K. S. Iyengar. She used to teach yoga to pregnant ladies at the Iyengar Yoga Centre which the husband-wife duo established in their residential building, Home Villa, in 1998. She has also served as managing trustee to Guruji Iyengar’s Light on Yoga Research Trust (LOYRT).
Ina Ashwin Dani
He has two brothers, Jalaj Dani and Hasit Dani. Jalaj Dani is a businessman, investor, and philanthropist, who was the public face of Asian Paints for around two decades during which he handled human resources, supply chain and chemicals portfolio at the company. In 2017, he resigned from his leadership roles at Asian Paints and became its co-promoter. He is the Chairman of Addverb Technologies and IIM Trichy and an Independent Director of HDFC and Havells.
Malav A. Dani’s brother Jalaj Dani
Malav A. Dani’s brother Hasit Dani
Wife & Children
His marital status is unknown.
Religion/Religious Views
He is spiritual and believes in Veda Philosophy.
Career
In August 1999, he began his association with the American multinational conglomerate General Electric Company (GE). He pursued the Information Management Leadership Program (IMLP) & the Quality Six Sigma Black Belt Program certification by General Electric (1999-2005). The certification included IMLP-Data Warehousing, IMLP – Enterprise Resources Planning Implementation (ERP), IMLP – Audit Staff, and IMLP – Honeywell Acquisitions & Integration. Then there was the Quality Six Sigma Black Belt Program for two years before the Treasury Digitization Leader. Apart from being a non-executive director of Asian Paints Ltd, he is also the Chairman of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee. The company was co-founded by his grandfather, Suryakant Dani, along with his three friends, Champaklal Choksey, Chimanlal Choksi, and Arvind Vakil in Gaiwadi, Girgaon, Mumbai in February 1942. In 2011, he assumed the role of Joint Managing Director at Hitech Group. He was the Executive Director at Hitech Group for fifteen years, from 2007 to 2022. Thereafter, he became its Managing Director. He also served as Process Advisor & Evaluator of Hitech Plast Ltd, leading the company to be selected as “Asia’s 100 Best & Fastest Growing Manufacturing Companies of 2013-14” by World Consulting and Research Corporation (WCRC) in association with KPMG. Under his leadership, Hitech Plast Limited was selected as a winner in the outstanding category of the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2015. In March 2018, Hitech Corporation Ltd was selected as India’s Best Plastic Packaging Solutions Company. Berkshire Media LLC, USA awarded ‘India’s Best Company of the Year Award 2018,’ recognizing Hitech’s positive contributions in terms of its creativity and innovation and having played a significant role in the growth of the Indian economy. Other accolades Hitech garnered under his leadership include the IBC Award (2017), the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (2019), and the Asia Responsible Enterprise Award under the CSR Category (2019).
Malav Dani posing with the awards Hitech received under his leadership
He held the position of the Chairman of ‘The Young Leaders’ Forum at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) from 2009 to 2013. He held several positions at IMC like Chairman-Ease of Doing Business In India (2017-18) and Chairman – Green Mobility & Water Sustainable Committee Chairman (2019-20). As chairman, one of his significant achievements involved presenting a strategic plan to the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce of Rajya Sabha, aimed at enhancing India’s performance in the Ease of Doing Business rankings.
Malav Dani, Chairman, Young Leaders Forum, Sania Mirza, Bhavna Doshi, President, IMC at an interactive session organised by IMC in Mumbai on 19 Dec 2011
He is on the board of 12 companies, linked to the Dani family. In 2005, he became the Senior Manager of Quality and Customer Centricity at Asian Paints and worked in this capacity for a year. In 2008, he became a director of Suryakant Paint Accessories Private Limited. On 26 February 2011, he assumed the directorship of his private investment arm, Sattava Holding and Trading through which he holds a 5.88 percent stake in Asian Paints. In 2021, the stake was worth more than Rs. 15,000 crore or nearly $2 billion at the price of Rs. 2,775 per share. In 2012, he became a director of Clear Mipak Packaging Solutions and Homevilla Yoga Private Limited. In 2013, he became a director of Canes Venatici Trading and Suprasad Investments And Trading Company Private Limited. On 20 March 2017, he became a director of Rayirth Holding And Trading Company Private Limited. In November 2021, he began his association with the Indian American International Chamber of Commerce (IAICC) as Chairman International Board.
Malav Dani, Chairman of International Chapter of Indian American International Chamber of Commerce (IAICC) (second from left) exchanged MOU with Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai (first from left) at an interactive meeting along with Capt. Ramesh Kumar Gulati, Member, Council of Management, WTC Mumbai, and Mr. Ajoykaant Ruia, Vice Chairman, WTC Mumbai
He sold shares worth Rs. 500 crore on the stock exchanges between May 2021 and April 2022.
Philanthropy
In 2006, he started serving as the honorary director of the Volunteer Organization Society for Service to Voluntary Agencies (SOSVA). He was associated with SOSVA until 2008. From 2011 to 2012, he was a member of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), where he led a project for standardisation of its Agriculture Training Program as a part of the ‘Swavlambam’ initiative. In 2016, Malav started a nonprofit organization called ‘Sab Ka Mangal Ho’ (Wellness for All). This organization’s purpose is to effectively arrange yoga and value education training at orphanages across the country. They also conduct health care programs and projects to manage natural resources.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- He is a recipient of the ‘Yuva Icon Award’ presented by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam for displaying exemplary determination towards positively impacting the future of the nation.
- In January 2004, he won the Alexander Hamilton Corporate Treasury Award, associated with Columbia University, USA.
- In 2014, the Institute of Economic Studies (IES) bestowed the Udyog Rattan Award on Malav Dani in recognition of him as the ‘Jewel of Industry.’
- In 2015, he received the Gold Level of the Arogya Healthy Workplace Award by Public Health Foundation of India for creating a healthy workplace in terms of offering the best environment for physical, mental, and emotional health to its employees.
- On 17 February 2018, Malav received the ‘Business Excellence and Innovative Best Practices Award’ presented by Hon’ble Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India, Ambassador of Japan H.E. Kenji Hiramatsu, and Former Adviser to the Prime Minister of India Mr T. K. A. Nair at the New Delhi Institute of Management, for the most distinguished services rendered by him towards nation building.
Malav receiving the ‘Business Excellence and Innovative Best Practices Award presented by Hon’ble Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India, Ambassador of Japan H.E. Kenji Hiramatsu, and Former Adviser to the Prime Minister of India Mr. T. K. A. Nair at the New Delhi Institute of Management on 17 February 2018
- On 7 February 2020, he was awarded AsiaOne Young Asian Entrepreneur at the 13th Edition of the Asian Business & Social Forum 2020 Summit and Awards at Marriott Marquis Hotel, Bangkok.
- On 31 March 2023, Malav was felicitated with the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition Award in recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community by the Congress of the United States House of Representatives.
Facts/Trivia
- He can speak English, Gujarati, and Hindi.
- In 1999, while studying at Purdue University, he won the prestigious Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition, USA.
- Like his parents, Malav is also a keen yoga practitioner and adherent follower of B. K. S. Iyengar. Once Malav even toyed with the idea of becoming a yoga instructor. However, he dropped that idea after Iyengar advised to become a businessman. Talking the same in an interview, Malav said,
Guruji is very practical—he advised me, you should be out there, creating jobs.” - He was the winner of the TV game show The Deal on M&A. The program was aired on 25 July 2010 on NDTV Profit. In the show, two Indian companies bid for one business of a conglomerate based in the UK to form a JV with the British Company. Malav and team emerged winners on the show upon conclusion of the re-bid exercise.
Malav A. Dani winning the award on the TV game show The Deal on M&A in 2010
- He gave the ‘Make in India’ Presentation at the Annual Regional Conference of Western India Regional Council (WIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on 5 December 2014.
- On 28 September 2023, Malav Dani’s father Ashwin Dani’s net worth was $7.8 billion. He ranked #49 on Forbes India’s The 100 Richest Indians 2013 list for a net worth of $1310 million.