Mohan Lal Lohia was born on 21 December 1930, in Ratangarh, Rajasthan, India.

[2] In 1950 Lohia travelled to Burma (Myanmar), where he started working as a raw material purchase manager for an embroidery and lace manufacturing production.

[2] According to his eldest son, Om Prakash, Lohia predicted the reforms passed by the Burmese government in 1963, which ordered foreign manufacturers to vacate their businesses and move out of Burma.

[2] Prior to that he had already established an embroidery and lace factory in Bangkok and a knitting, weaving and pressing mill in Nepal.

[2] The eldest was made chief executive officer of Indorama Synthetics in India, Prakash Lohia was handed the Indorama Chemicals based in Thailand, and Ajay Prakash Lohia got the Woolworth business based in Kolkata.