Sumantrao Pendharkar, director of Vicco Laboratories, has died, drawing tributes from political leaders across Maharashtra, who remembered his contribution to India's Ayurveda-based consumer products industry and entrepreneurship.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over Pendharkar's demise in a post on social media, describing him as a respected industrialist whose work strengthened the legacy of Vicco Laboratories.
"With the passing of Sumant Rao Pendharkar, Director of Vico Laboratories, who brought global recognition to ‘Vico', Maharashtra has lost a distinguished industrial jewel. I offer my heartfelt tribute to him," Fadnavis said, extending his condolences to the bereaved family and praying for the departed soul.
ALSO READ: Sam Neill No More: Beloved Jurassic Park Star Dies At 78
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also paid tribute, saying Pendharkar's contribution to promoting indigenous Ayurvedic products and entrepreneurship would be remembered. He conveyed his sympathies to the family.
"Viko Laboratories is not merely the name of an industrial group, but a symbol of the honest efforts that have taken India's rich Ayurvedic tradition across the seven seas and earned it prestige," Eknath wrote on X.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari offered condolences, recalling Pendharkar's role in building Vicco into a trusted Indian brand and highlighting his contribution to Maharashtra's industrial landscape.
"Due to his far-sighted vision, 'Veko' became not just a brand but a global identity for Indian Ayurveda. His work and his value-based life will remain an inspiration for many generations to come. I share in the grief of the Pendharkar family and the Veko family. My condolences are with them. May God grant eternal peace to the departed soul. Om Shanti," he wrote on X.
ALSO READ: Josh Grisetti Cause Of Death: Broadway Actor Dies At 44, Leaves Fans Heartbroken
Gadkari prayed for eternal peace for the departed soul and strength for the family to cope with the loss.
भारतीय आयुर्वेदाला जागतिक स्तरावर सन्मान मिळवून देणारे विको लॅबोरेटरीजचे संचालक सुमंतराव पेंढरकर यांच्या निधनाचे वृत्त अत्यंत दुःखद आहे. त्यांना माझी भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली. स्वदेशी उद्योग, प्रामाणिक उद्योजकता आणि सामाजिक बांधिलकी यांचा सुंदर संगम सुमंतराव यांच्या कार्यात दिसून येत…
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 3, 2026
Several political leaders, business personalities and well-wishers also took to social media to mourn Pendharkar's passing, acknowledging his role in carrying forward the legacy of Vicco Laboratories, one of India's best-known Ayurvedic consumer brands.
In 2024, Yeshwant Pendharkar, chairman of Ayurvedic cosmetics maker Vicco Laboratories, died at the age of 85. Vicco traces its origins to Dombivli in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, where founder Keshav Pendharkar established the company's first manufacturing unit in the early 1950s.
The company expanded to Nagpur in 1985, with Keshav Pendharkar's younger son, Jayant Pendharkar, relocating there to lead the operations.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.