Rip: Former HUL Chairman T Thomas passes away

New Delhi: T Thomas, former Chairman of FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), passed away at a hospital in Mumbai, the company said in a statement.

He was 90.

Thomas had served as the chairman of Hindustan Unilever from 1973 to 1980. Later, he was on the board of Unilever as a director.

"Thomas was a remarkable leader and an institution builder. I personally looked up to him. He was a great example of a purpose-driven and values-led leader. His legacy will always live on," HUL CEO and MD Sanjiv Mehta said.

According to the company, Thomas led HUL through the difficult price control era and laid the foundation for Unilever to retain the majority holding under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) at the time.

He also spearheaded the launch of the Jammu detergents factory and the Haldia STP (sodium tripolyphosphate) plant.

Thomas was instrumental in recasting the company's then management trainee programme, in which trainees were given an exposure of working in rural areas for all-round development.

He had also served as non-executive chairman of other companies such as Glaxo and Lafarge, it added.

Thomas had set up Asha Daan, an organization that serves differently-abled, sick and destitute people, at Byculla in Mumbai. The home is run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.