Vicco director Sumantrao Pendharkar passes away, leaders pay tribute

MUMBAI: The smile behind the toothpaste has fallen silent. Sumantrao Pendharkar, director of Vicco Laboratories and one of the key figures behind the iconic Ayurvedic consumer brand, has passed away, prompting an outpouring of tributes from political leaders and industry figures who hailed his contribution to Indian entrepreneurship and Ayurveda.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described Pendharkar as an “industrial jewel”, saying his leadership helped transform Vicco into a globally recognised name while strengthening the legacy of one of India’s most enduring homegrown brands.

“With the passing of Sumantrao Pendharkar, Maharashtra has lost a distinguished industrialist,” Fadnavis said in a social media post, extending his condolences to the bereaved family and praying for the departed soul.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remembered Pendharkar for taking India’s Ayurvedic heritage “across the seven seas”, saying Vicco had become far more than an industrial enterprise, it had evolved into a symbol of indigenous entrepreneurship and the global appeal of traditional Indian healthcare.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also paid tribute, recalling Pendharkar’s role in building Vicco into a trusted household brand. He said the industrialist’s vision helped establish the company as a global ambassador for Indian Ayurveda and left behind a legacy that would continue to inspire future generations.

Tributes also poured in from business leaders and well-wishers, many acknowledging Pendharkar’s role in carrying forward the values on which Vicco Laboratories was built. Over the decades, the company became synonymous with products such as Vicco Vajradanti toothpaste and Vicco Turmeric cream, earning a loyal consumer base in India and overseas.

Pendharkar’s passing comes less than two years after the death of Yeshwant Pendharkar, the company’s chairman, in 2024 at the age of 85.

Founded by Keshav Pendharkar in the early 1950s in Dombivli, Vicco Laboratories grew from a small manufacturing unit into one of India’s best-known Ayurveda-based consumer goods companies. The business expanded further in 1985 with operations in Nagpur under the leadership of Jayant Pendharkar, helping the brand strengthen its national and international presence.

With Sumantrao Pendharkar’s demise, Indian industry bids farewell to one of the custodians of a brand that blended tradition with trust, proving that Ayurvedic products could carve out a lasting place on shelves and in households across the world.