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Brigadier (retd.) Kapil Mohan, former Chairman and MD of Mohan Meakin Ltd and the man behind the rum Old Monk, passed away on January 6. He was 88 years old.

As per reports, Mohan, who was keeping unwell in his last years, died of a cardiac arrest in Ghaziabad’s Mohan Nagar area. He is survived by his wife Pushpa Mohan.

Recipient of Padma Shri in 2010, Kapil Mohan led the much-needed diversification of the company after he took over the reins of the erstwhile Dyer Meakin Breweries.

Before 1966, Mohan was at the helm of Trade Links Pvt Ltd.

Also Read: Kapil Mohan, thank you for Old Monk — it was more than a quarter

After the launch of Old Monk on December 19, 1954, Mohan’s leadership saw the company develop three distilleries, two breweries and a host of new franchises in India.

Old Monk was for a long time the largest selling dark rum in the world but of late, the company has been in the news following reports that that it is taking its bestselling beverage off the market amid dropping sales.

Mohan Meakin has since then forayed into various business areas such as malt houses, glass factories, breakfast food, fruit products and juices, malt extract factories, cold storages and engineering works among others.

Many of his admirers took to Twitter to pay their tributes to Mohan who carried forward the legacy of his brother V R Mohan and father N N Mohan.

Currently, Mohan Meakin Ltd is a multi-faceted business house with a turnover exceeding Rs 400 crore.

History of the company

The company traces its origins to a brewery established by Edward Dyer in Kasauli in 1855.

During the same century, another man named HG Meakin, founded Meakin & Co. Ltd. He bought the old Simla and Kasauli Breweries and built others at Dalhousie, Ranikhet, Chakrarta, Darjeeling and Kirkee. The two firms soon joined hands and started a new joint stock venture under the style of Dyer Meakin & Co.Ltd.

In 1935, when Burma (now Myanmar) was dismembered from India, the name of the Company with Indian assets and liabilities was changed to Dyer Meakin Breweries Ltd., from Dyer Meakin & Co. Ltd., and the assets and liabilities of Burma Brewery in Burma were separated. Thereafter the Company’s name was changed from Dyer Meakin Breweries Ltd to Mohan Meakin Breweries Ltd in 1966 and from 1980, the name was further changed to Mohan Meakin Ltd.

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