Meet the Blade King of India: The Untold Story Behind Topaz and Supermax
From the unmistakable scrape of a morning shave to the quiet confidence of a perfectly honed blade, RK Malhotra’s legacy has been woven into the daily lives of millions of Indian men. Ace of Blades: The Life Story of the Blade King of India (Jaico Publishing House) tells the extraordinary story behind that legacy—of the man who transformed a simple shaving blade into a symbol of ambition, resilience, and Indian enterprise.
Tracing Malhotra’s journey from the launch of Topaz in the 1970s to the rise of Supermax as a dominant force through 2023, the book chronicles how one relentless obsession with quality and precision built an empire that dared to challenge global giants. In an era when multinational brands ruled the market, Malhotra carved out space for an Indian brand powerful enough that Gillette attempted—unsuccessfully—to acquire it for over a decade. His story is as much about defiance and vision as it is about business acumen.
Written by his daughter, acclaimed author and screenwriter Reenita Malhotra Hora, Ace of Blades goes far beyond a conventional business biography. It blends the rise of India’s FMCG industry with a deeply personal family saga, offering readers rare access to the man behind the myth. Reenita’s vantage point allows her to capture both the brilliance and the volatility of her father—a leader driven by perfection, yet shaped by contradictions, rivalries, and personal sacrifice.
From factory floors and boardroom battles to intimate family turning points, the narrative lays bare the price of greatness with striking honesty. Malhotra’s ambition propelled innovation and scale, but it also strained relationships and tested loyalties, revealing how success can fracture as much as it fulfills. As Malhotra himself reflects, building a good business is rare—and preserving it even rarer.
Rich with entrepreneurial grit, cultural insight, and dramatic storytelling, Ace of Blades is not just the story of one man. It is a coming-of-age tale on three levels: RK Malhotra’s transformation as a leader, the evolution of India’s FMCG sector through the blade industry, and a cultural shift in everyday Indian masculinity shaped by the act of shaving.
With advance praise calling Malhotra “a sharp and astute businessman,” Ace of Blades is essential reading for anyone drawn to biographies, business histories, and real-life family sagas—an unflinching portrait of legacy, leadership, and the relentless pursuit of the perfect edge.
Shared by : Reenita Malhotra Arora
Author’s bio: REENITA MALHOTRA HORA is a Mumbai-born, California-based novelist and screenwriter whose stories spotlight the South Aian experience. Her award-winning historical love story Vermilion Harvest – Playtime at the Bagh, set against the 1919 Amritsar massacre, won the Overall Grand Prize at the Chanticleer International Book Awards.
She’s a former journalist for Bloomberg and RTHK, with work in The New York Times, CNN, and Bloomberg.
