Onkarnath Manaktala

Our founder, Onkarnath Manaktala went into business with his uncle at the young age of 18, only to have everything he built cruelly snatched away in the aftermath of India’s struggle for independence. In the partition that separated families and destroyed livelihoods, he lost everything but the clothes on his back.

He followed his livelihood to Bombay and restarted his business from scratch, manufacturing equipment for a few of his customers who were based here. From the ashes of loss and heartache, he painstakingly rebuilt Kumar Metal Industries and his life again, holding on to his integrity through it all.

He was a kind, benevolent man of few words and invariably the calmest person in the room. He treated everyone he encountered with love and respect, and his affection was always reciprocated a hundredfold.

He never gave up, even when times were tough. For him, there were no shortcuts, just hard work, dedication and integrity. He never let his hardships define him; instead, he used them as motivation to make a difference in the world. He established charities to empower marginalised communities with educational opportunities and livelihoods, starting a tradition that his children and grandchildren have carried on. He spent his whole adult life seamlessly navigating his work and philanthropic activities and was involved in several causes, from education to skilling for rural women.

Our future is built on the legacy he created for the Kumar family. We are committed to growing what he started into a global powerhouse offering innovations and process engineering solutions for the oils and fats industry. We have only greater heights to get to in his name.