How Haldiram’s Became A Rs 4,000 Crore Company From A Small Bhujia Store In Bikaner

When we think of food companies, we think of multinational brands like Domino’s, McDonald’s and KFC. But we have an Indian brand that has given a tough fight to all of these companies. The brand is Haldiram’s. Haldiram’s began as a modest store in Bikaner and today, it is the world’s largest snack seller, with goods sold in over 80 countries.

Haldiram’s is a name that began in Rajasthan with its delicious bhujia but its brilliant commercial methods and periodic release of new goods propelled it to global prominence. The brand has not only developed and flourished but it has also carved out a significant space in our hearts.

Haldiram’s success is primarily due to the contributions, devotion and strategies of three individuals: Ganga Bishan Agarwal, Shiv Kishan Agarwal and Manohar Lal Agarwal. Haldiram’s was founded in 1941 by Ganga Bishan Agarwal, commonly known as Haldiram Ji. He was born into a Marwari family in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Ganga Bishan Agarwal’s desire to founding this company began in 1919 when he was only 11 years old. In his childhood, he began working at his father’s bhujia shop. He used to do odd tasks there but he was always interested in learning how to prepare bhujia.

Bhujia was popular during the time and as a result, it was sold at the majority of market shops. Every vendor’s bhujia was of the same quality and flavour and hence, the sole competition was for money.

Ganga Bishan was the only one who was dissatisfied with both the business and the flavour of the bhujia. He desired to create a snack that was distinct in the market. To do this, he began making bhujia with various components. After many tries, he succeeded in creating a new type of bhujia, one that the people of Bikaner had never tasted before.

Shiv Kishan Agarwal began the second chapter of the company’s expansion at the end of 1960. He was Haldiram’s grandson. The Agarwal family was separated into three factions in the 1960s and they lived in the cities of Bikaner, Kolkata and Nagpur. Their operations in Kolkata and Bikaner were going nicely. Shri Krishan, on the other hand, had to work really hard in Nagpur as there was no demand for bhujia in the 1960s, not only in Nagpur but throughout Maharashtra.

Manohar Lal Agarwal was the individual who took the company to the next level. He is Haldiram’s current chairman. When he joined Haldiram’s in 1973, the company had only three stores in India: Kolkata, Nagpur and Bikaner. Manohar built a new store in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. He implemented two significant business growth methods that proved to be game changers in this scenario. The strategies included emphasising product packaging, opening more stores and expanding across cities.

This is how Haldiram’s developed from a small shop in Bikaner to one of the world’s most-known snack vendors. Haldiram’s valuation has now surpassed $3 billion and the company has expanded to over 80 countries. It was the efforts of these three generations of the Agarwal family that transformed their little shop into the large enterprise that it is today.