He was the founder, chairman and managing director of Gharda Chemicals Limited,[1] a R&D-based company with business interests in agrochemicals, polymers, and high performance pigments.
[8] Gharda began his career as an assistant professor, Process Design and Chemical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma.
[8] His move into agrochemicals was a result of being invited to be an observer of an investigation by the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission into an alleged monopolistic product.
[11] Among his many awards, Gharda was elected to be a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1976 in the field of Process Design.
It has five manufacturing units located across the country at Dombivli in Mumbai, Lote Parshuram in Khed (Maharashtra), Panoli and Ankleshwar, Saykha, Bharuch in Gujarat and Samba in Jammu.
Innovation through research and development has seen the company rise from a rented shed[12] in 1964 to a leadership position in the agrochemical industry.
[19] The Abaan and Keki Gharda Memorial Trust named after his wife and him was formed in 2009 and receives 99% of the proceeds from the sale of his shares in the company.