Gulati was born into a middle-class Punjabi joint family in Pakistan, where his father used to trade in spices at a store he founded in 1919 named “Mahashian Di Hatti” (Deggi Mirch Wale). His family was very devout and committed members of the “Arya Samaj.”
He never showed much interest in school and quit when he was ten years old, in the fifth standard, because he was more interested in helping his father at his store.
His father sent him to an accounting school for training after noticing his passion in business, where he spent about two years learning the necessary trade skills. He began selling “Mehandi” on the streets before working in his father’s store, earning about Rs. 20 each day.
He used to participate in communist protests and actions during India’s fight for independence from the British.
Mahashay and his family crossed the border from Pakistan to India on September 7, 1947, following the partition of India and Pakistan, and sought safety in an Amritsar refugee camp. Later, Mahashay travelled to Delhi in quest of employment along with his brother-in-law.
Following his initial success, in 1953 he leased another shop at Chandni Chowk. He established Roopak Stores in Karol Bagh, India’s first contemporary spice shop, in 1954. Later, he gave his younger brother Satpal Gulati control of Roopak Stores.
He bought a property in Kirti Nagar in 1959 to build his own factory, and from there he established the MDH Spices empire, also known as Mahashian Di Hatti Limited, which is Punjabi for “the shop of a magnanimous man.”
Under his direction, MDH went on to become one of the most well-known brands in the Indian spice market, and Dharampal Gulati continued to support MDH goods well into his 90s. According to reports, MDH exports goods to over 100 nations, including Switzerland, the United States, Japan, Canada, Europe, South East Asia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. He had served as the head of the Mahashay Chuni Lal Charitable Trust, which manages two mobile hospitals for slum people and a hospital with 250 beds. In addition, the trust manages 20 schools, of which 4 are in Delhi. The trust also offers financial assistance to social organizations depending on need.
With a salary of Rs. 21 crores per year, he was the highest paid CEO in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry in 2017.
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