The Director of Bedekar Masale Atul Vasant Bedekar passed away around Thursday midnight in Mumbai. He was 56 and was struggling against cancer for a long period.
He was from the fourth generation of Bedekar Masale, the group that is in the business for the last 123 years. The last rites ill be performed in South Mumbai on Friday. All the establishments related to the business group are closed in his honour.
In consonance with the changing needs of the customers V P Bedekar’s son V V Bedekar started preparing and marketing pickles. IN 1917 ‘Masale’ of different kinds was brought into the market and in 1021 pickles entered it and became popular within a short period of time. The outlets were opened in various parts of Mumbai. The turnover of the group is more than Rs 100 crore.
Besides the commercial activities, the Bedekar family was also engaged in social activities, mostly in propagating culture and knowledge acquiring. ‘Margasheersha Mahotsav’ and ‘Vasant Maohotsav’ were festivals not only for the Bedekar family but for all the residents of Girgaon suburb of Mumbai.
The Bedekar Masale (spices) earned name and fame not only in India but across the world.
V P Bedekar left his native place in Ratnagiri and started a grocery shop in Mumbai. He was joined by his son Wasude alias Annasaheb, who expanded the business to make it a popular brand in the field of spices and pickles. With the expansion of the business, it was converted into a V P Bedekar and Sons Company. In 1060 the company started exporting its products. The company produces around 600 tonnes of pickles every season in the unit in Karjat in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. The pickles and spices are exported to America, Canada, the Middle East, Europe, and other countries in the East.