Ashwin Dani, Non-Executive Director of Asian Paints, dies at 81

On 28 September, Ashwin Dani, the non-executive director of Asian Paints, had passed away at the age of 79. On 23 June 2021, the Asian Paints board had sanctioned the appointment of Deepak Satwalekar as Chairman of the Board. It was stated that Ashwin Dani would persist on the company's board as a non-executive/promoter director. Under Ashwin Dani's leadership, Asian Paints had expanded its operations globally, propelling the company to become one of the world's foremost paint manufacturers. He was credited with introducing India's first computerised colour mixing program. Dani had joined Asian Paints in 1968, a company founded by his father and three others in 1942. He held the position of vice-chairman and managing director between December 1998 and March 2009. Born in Mumbai, Dani earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Institute of Science, University of Mumbai. He later pursued a Master?s in polymer science from the University of Akron, Ohio, and completed a diploma in colour science from Rensselaer Polytechnic, Troy, New York. Prior to his tenure at Asian Paints, Dani had worked as a development chemist at Inmont Corp in Detroit, US. Dani?s passing marked the end of an era in the paint industry, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and leadership.