Former chairman of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Susim Mukul (SM) Datta, passed away in Mumbai on Saturday. He was 89. Datta led HUL, then called Hindustan Lever, during its M&A decade in the 1990s, overseeing the merger of HUL’s key competitor, Tata Oil Mills Company, with itself in 1994, amongst the most important acquisitions during the period. His successor, Keki Dadiseth, continued with the M&A momentum between 1996 and 2000.
A prominent business leader and rural marketing champion, Dutta, who began his innings with HUL as a management trainee in 1956, worked up the ranks to become its chairman in 1990. An alumnus of Presidency College, Kolkata, where he received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Datta had joined HUL after obtaining his post-graduation degree in science and technology from Calcutta University. Datta was regarded as a well-rounded professional, one who not only understood the making of HUL’s staple products, namely, soaps and detergents, but one who could also go out in the field and market these products in both urban and rural markets.
Datta was instrumental in putting HUL’s diversification plan into motion, acquiring and merging companies in foods in particular. His tenure as HUL chairman lasted for six years till 1996, by which time HUL had acquired the Kissan business (jams and ketchup) from the UB Group, and Dollops ice cream from Cadbury‘s, marking its foray into the foods segment. In 1994, the Kwality ice cream business was acquired by Brooke Bond, and the latter merged with Lipton India to form Brooke Bond Lipton India. In 1996, Datta merged this company with HUL to bring all businesses under “one roof.”
Known for his humble personality, Datta was the past president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry and the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry, among other industry bodies.
Datta was also associated with a number of companies post his HUL innings, including as non-executive chairman of IL&FS Investment Managers, Philips India and Castrol India. His leadership expanded to more firms, including Peerless General Finance & Investment Co., Linde India, Rabo India Finance and Wockhardt Hospitals, among other firms.
He was also an active member of multiple professional bodies like the All India Management Association, the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Institution of Engineers India.