Overview

• Susim Mukul Datta died on July 5 in Mumbai at age 89, prompting reflections on his industry impact.
• He led Hindustan Unilever as chairman from 1990 to 1996, overseeing the landmark Tata Oil Mills merger and Brooke Bond-Lipton consolidation.
• During his tenure, Datta championed rural marketing strategies and steered HUL into new food categories like jams and ice cream.
• After retirement, he served on the boards of IL&FS Investment Managers, Philips India, Castrol India, Peerless General Finance and Linde India.
• Hindustan Unilever’s CEO Rohit Jawa paid tribute on LinkedIn, and industry colleagues lauded his consensus-building leadership.