CHENNAI: VR Muthu, chairman of cooking oil major Idhayam and a pioneer of modern FMCG marketing in south India, passed away on Wednesday. He was 72.
Muthu played a decisive role in making Idhayam synonymous with “healthy cooking” across Indian kitchens and among the diaspora, transforming a traditional product — gingelly oil — through consistent branding, mass advertising and a deep understanding of consumer trust.
Born on October 6, 1953, to VVV Rajendran and Jegathambal, he was educated at KVS Higher Secondary School in Virudhunagar, completed his pre-university course at St Joseph’s College, Tiruchy, and earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from MMK College, Mumbai.
He joined the family business in 1978, focusing on marketing at a time when the edible oil market was largely unorganised.
Along with his brothers, Muthu launched Idhayam. Between 1980 and 1986, the company’s annual turnover rose to Rs 12 crore. Revenues later climbed to about Rs 900 crore in 2022-23 as the brand expanded nationwide.
A moment of symbolic recognition came in 2017, when Idhayam featured on the breakfast table of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Russia.
He also served as an independent director of Hatsun Agro Product Limited. The company termed his passing an “irreparable loss”.