Who Was Parag Desai, Wagh Bakri Director, Remembered By Business Fraternity After His Untimely Death

Parag Desai, the 49-year-old executive director at Gujarat Tea Processors and Packers Limited known for its Wagh Bakri brand of tea, died on October 22 following a severe head injury sustained in a freak accident last week.

He is reported to have suffered a severe head injury after being attacked by stray dogs while on his morning walk near his residence in Ahmedabad. He underwent a surgery for a brain haemorrhage at a private hospital in the city and was in the ICU. His last rites were conducted at the Thaltej crematorium on Monday morning.

He is survived by wife Vidisha and daughter Parisha. An MBA from Long Island University in the US, Desai, oversaw sales, was an expert tea taster and evaluator and marketing and export departments for the Rs 1,500 crore group that was founded by his great grandfather.

He expanded the brand into tea lounges and introduced new products like iced tea. He was also active on industry platforms like the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and international organisations and was also associated with charities like Blind People's Association and Jivdaya Charitable Trust, which runs an animal hospital in Ahmedabad.