Parag Desai, the Executive Director of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group, passed away today at the age of 49, as confirmed by the company through their social media announcement. Tragically, he had experienced a brain hemorrhage following a fall last week and succumbed to it in the hospital on Sunday.
“With profound grief, we regret to inform the sad demise of our beloved Parag Desai,” the company said in an Instagram post.
He was hospitalized last week and was receiving treatment for a severe head injury sustained during a fall near his residence. According to reports, the incident occurred when he was confronted by street dogs.
Shaktisinh Gohil, Rajya Sabha MP and Gujarat Congress chief, offered his condolences.
“Very sad news coming in. Parag Desai, Director and owner Wagh Bakri Tea passed away. He had a brain hemorrhage following a fall. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to the entire Wagh Bakri family across India,” wrote on X.
He was one of the two executive directors serving on the board of Wagh Bakri Tea Group, instrumental in guiding their transition into tea lounges and e-commerce.
He spearheaded the group’s sales, marketing, and export departments, and he was additionally an accomplished tea taster and evaluator.
Founded in 1892 by Narandas Desai, the Wagh Bakri Tea Group has grown to achieve an impressive turnover of INR 2,000 crore today.
The group maintains a significant presence in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Western Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. They have also recently expanded their operations into Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.