K. C. Das (chemist)

K.C. Das was born into an affluent Baidya family in Bengal. He was the son of Rai Bahadur Tarak Chandra Das, a judge, and Mohini Devi, who was later a staunch Gandhian and Independence activist. Mohini Devi was also a former President of the Mahila Atma Raksha Samiti, an organisation committed to women's self defence. Amongst his siblings, the most notable was Dr. Prabhavati Das Gupta, a graduate from Heidelberg University and a trade union activist along with her husband and Congress MP Bakar Ali Mirza.

After completing his education in Calcutta, he became a lecturer at Shibpur College (now Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur). At this time, there could be seen a substantial growth in anti-British activity in Bengal, highlighted by the growth of Revolutionary thought and action. Das got involved with a number of other youths who subscribed to this brand of thinking. His father, who was known to be close to certain officials in the British Indian government, was informed that his son would soon be arrested if he did not take any preventive action. He then encouraged his son to go abroad to pursue higher studies. Das, who wanted nothing to do with Britain, instead chose to go to the United States.

K.C. Das was a much beloved figure in Calcutta, and was a lifelong believer in the Swadeshi philosophy and continued to be staunchly anti-British even post-Independence. Since his return from the United States and Japan, he chose to wear only Khadi clothing.

He was immensely popular in the Baidya community as well, providing scholarships to a number of young boys who came to Calcutta for their education. He was intensely committed to the ideals of entrepreneurship, and was known to dislike the idea of 'service'. At the time of his funeral, a number of people came forward and recounted how, on his walks around the lakes in Calcutta, Das would stop them and encourage them to give up the idea of looking for a job and start something of their own - no matter how small. Often he would provide the seed capital for the ventures, and never asked for the money back.[4]

• While he was staunchly anti-British, K.C. Das' only son married the daughter of noted Solicitor Susil C. Sen CBE, a lawyer who had very close ties to the British government.
• His family name is Dasgupta, but being staunchly against the caste system, his father dropped the 'Gupta' which associated them with the Baidya community.
• K.C. Das gave an opportunity to Debu Barik, the owner of a small eatery behind Bijoli Cinema in Calcutta, to run the canteen at the Calcutta Chemical Company office in Panditia Road, recognising an entrepreneurial spark in him. That eatery is now the famous Bijoli Grill, one of the most popular restaurants for Bengali food in the country.
• K.C. Das is the grandfather of noted columnist and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta.