This man started business in 1970, got Padma Shri in 2023, had whopping net worth of...

The original chairman of the well-known beverage Rasna is Areez Pirojshaw Khambatta. On November 19, 2022, in Ahmedabad, he died of a cardiac arrest. The 85-year-old industrialist had been unwell for a long time.Areez Khambatta's spouse Persis is his surviving spouse. Along with their three children, Ruzan, Delna, and Piruz, they are grandparents to Avan, Areez, Firoza Arzeen, Arzad, and Arnavaz.

Areez Khambatta's father, Phiroja Khambatta, started a small business decades ago, but Areez's perseverance helped it grow to new heights. The business is present in more than 60 nations. In the 1970s, he developed inexpensive Rasna packs to compete with expensive soft drink brands. 

People still remember Rasna's "I love you Rasna" advertising campaign from the 1980s and 1990s, and the brand has a high recall rate. A box of Rasna costs Rs 5 and can be used to make 32 glasses of soft drinks, according to the package. Rasna has nine manufacturing facilities and 26 depots spread throughout India as part of a robust distribution network.

The company has manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and India, but it conducts the majority of its business there. The market for soft drink concentrates provides the company with the majority of its earnings. In addition, it produces a large amount of export-oriented teas, pickles, chutneys, fruit jams, fruit cordials, ready-to-eat curries, and snacks. Oranjolt, an aerated fruit drink, was also introduced by Rasna in 2000.

As of 2022, Areez Pirojshaw Khambatta had an estimated net worth of approximately Rs 200-300 crores. In 2023 Areez Khambatta was honoured by Padma Shri award.