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Piyush Desai, Wagh Bakri Chairman, Dies at 86
Piyush Desai was a leader of the Wagh Bakri tea company.
He died on September 15 at the age of 86.
His family had been involved in the tea business for more than a century.
Desai helped the company grow across India and other countries.
He believed that sharing tea could help people overcome differences.
He spoke against communal discrimination and helped people affected by Gujarat’s 2002 riots.
He also donated money and equipment to support people with disabilities.
People who knew him remembered his love of Indian music, tea and helping others.
Piyush Desai, chairman of Ahmedabad-based Wagh Bakri Tea Group, died on September 15 at age 86.
Desai helped expand the tea company, which operates in more than 66 countries and holds nearly 9% of India’s tea market.
He was known for opposing communal discrimination and supporting relief efforts after Gujarat’s 2002 riots.
Desai made major contributions to disability rehabilitation, including donations to Ahmedabad’s Blind People’s Association.
He also supported Gujarat Vidyapith, Sadvichar Parivar and people with visual and physical disabilities.
- Who
- Piyush Desai, chairman of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group.
- What
- He died at age 86 after a six-decade career in the tea trade and extensive philanthropic work.
- Where
- Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where he was based and where several organisations he supported are located.
- When
- September 15, 2026, according to the article title.
- Why
- The report commemorates Desai’s death and describes his business career, social views and charitable contributions.
Key facts
- Age at death
- 86
- Family tea business history
- Desai’s grandfather, Narandas Desai, began with a tea estate in Durban in 1892.
- Company reach
- Wagh Bakri Tea Group operates in more than 66 countries and multiple Indian states.
- India tea-market share
- The company has nearly 9% of India’s tea market.
- Blind People’s Association donation
- Desai donated Rs 1.51 lakh in 1984 and Rs 15 lakh after the 2001 Kutch earthquake.
- Disability support
- He donated 200 smart glasses to visually challenged members of the Blind People’s Association.
- Organisational roles
- He served as Blind People’s Association president from 2014 to 2020 and was vice president of Sadvichar Parivar from 2012 to 2014.
Quotes
An anonymous close associate of Piyush Desai
A close associate who commented on Desai’s humanitarian and communal-harmony views
“Piyushbhai could not see anyone in distress, his heart would go out to them and he would extend his help. He did not believe in communalism; Hindus and Muslims were one for him.”
indianexpress.com
“tea can dissolve differences”
indianexpress.com
Bhushan Punani
General Secretary of the Blind People’s Association in Ahmedabad
“In 1984, Piyushbhai and his brothers came to IIM-Ahmedabad (located opposite BPA) and realised it was closed with no one to guide them. So, they walked across to BPA and met our then general secretary and gave the largest donation from any single individual—Rs 1.51 lakh—at the time.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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