From the humble beginnings of a friend's family sweet shop in Bikaner, to becoming a household name - Haldiram has become synonymous with Indian snacks. But how did it reach such heights?
It all began with imagination and dedication. Seeing potential in niche markets, they evolved from traditional desserts to mithai to cuisines, branching out year after year until they had reached restaurants throughout India.
Then came modernisation and marketing. By recognising the success of western and globalised food, Haldiram adapted for better shelf life through packaging and storage innovations and branding their products as a fast-food alternative.
Forging meaningful partnerships with businessmen further expanded the reach of Haldiram. These associations accompanied by platforms that provided support, helped position the company as a trustworthy provider of snacks globally.
Finally, trial and error shaped the taste-buds of consumers as experimentation with recipes unlocked new tastes and preferences - making Haldiram virtually ubiquitous across India.
So from being just a sweet shop in Bikaner to being present in every home imaginable - this is how Haldiram became what it is today!
The story of this entrepreneur is very inspirational, especially for the upcoming entrepreneurial generation. Everything is possible with dedication, hard work and effort will take you towards success whatever obstacles may come in your life, you have to be focused on the goal and do every possible thing to make it possible and finally achieve success like Haldiram’s.
The founder Shivkisan Agrawal is from a small village Bikaner where he used to sell Bhujia in his father’s shop in 1918, but now Haldiram’s has become one of the most popular International brands with annual revenue of Rs 7,130 crores, selling its products worldwide. Today it has become a multi-billion-dollar business.
The beginning of Haldiram's journey
The founder of Haldiram Ganga Bishan Agarwal was originally called by the name Haldiram Ji and at the beginning of Haldiram's journey, he used to work in his father’s shop and sold namkeen bhujia as instructed by his father and aunts at the shop. At a very young age, he was married. As a result of some household disputes back in 1946, he left the house.
Haldiram started his first shop and started selling Bikaneri Bhujia. Still, this time he brought some new flavors of it and to make it tasty to eat he added little moth flour in its making and also made it thinner to make it a little more crunchy to eat as just by his idea the selling namkeen was loved by so many new customers and even his sales increased by day by day.
He kept on experimenting with the taste of bhujia and its flavours which made Haldiram successful when he went to attend the marriage in Kolkata where he got the idea of opening a shop as his first step towards the branching of his Bikaner Bhujia business.
Later he started to spread business in parts of Nagpur and in some cities in India and with this success, there was no looking back situation came in his life as his business started to grow more and more and he gets enough profit from it attracting so many customers towards their shop and by here the success of Haldiram began to.
The expansion of Haldiram's shop
For any venture to spread in the market has to stick its root in the market its expansion is very important to build the business so after Haldiram's business expands in Nagpur, Kolkata and Delhi, the business also expands in many more cities of India as well as foreign countries across the USA, Uk and the Middle East.
The Haldiram company has its main business in three areas of the country: Kolkata, Delhi, New Delhi and Nagpur in comparison to the other two the Delhi business growth success rate is the highest. In 1993, the company exported products to more than 50 countries.
And in the year 2003, the multicrore company got the certification of the most trusted brand and the company started to work in all four directions in India mainly acquiring the complete northern region but a little weak in the southern region which does not come in that success mark.
In 2017, the business got the tag of country's largest snack company, leaving many domestic and international companies behind, and comes as India’s biggest snacks company.
Evolution of ‘Haldiram Bhujiawala‘
It was only in the 70s and 80s that Shri Ganga Bishan’s grandsons extended their venture to New Delhi and Nagpur after setting up in Kolkata. The family business was split into regions and managed by Ganga Bishan ji’s grandsons.
West & South India venture is under Mr Shiv Kishan Agarwal who created the brand Haldirams Nagpur
North India venture was under Mr Manohar Agarwal and Madhusudan Agarwal who created the brand name Haldirams.
The East India venture was given to Mr Prabhu Shankar Agarwal and Ashok Agarwal, who have now renamed their brand Prabhuji: From House of Haldirams.
But it was in the scandalous 90s that the natural family spat began when East India Haldiram filed a case in court against the two other companies over using ‘Haldiram’ as a brand name for their products in the Indian market.
However, in the year 2013, the court ruling banned the east territory owners Prabhu Shankar Agarwal and Ashok Agarwal from using the name brand ‘Haldirams’ on all their products. While the other 2 territories could still retain the name ‘Haldirams’ as their brand identity, east India had to rename their brand as Prabhuji: From the house of Haldirams.
While the north territory and west/south India have flourished over the decades, unfortunately, the owners of Prabhuji have been embroiled in various legal hassles which have affected their resources and business negatively.
Haldiram Products
Haldiram’s business was started with Bhujia Namkeen which was the first product of the company but later on, by seeing the tremendous success of the business it started to include many more products like Haldiram sweets (Rashgula, Basin Laddu, Gulab Jamun) snacks (AaloBhujia, KhataMitha, Namkeen, Peanuts), Papadum, Cookies, Pickles, Chips, Dry Fruits, and the company also started its outlet restaurants in Kolkata, Delhi, New Delhi, Nagpur, and Pune.
It is called Haldirams, an Indian snack, sweets and restaurant venture. Owing to the authentic taste and variety in food products, the customers buy their products due to which the company is benefited a lot.
Many more products are yet to come in future also as the company keeps on practising on products and is always ready to bring some new variety with a little twist in its flavour.
Products of Haldiram's New Delhi
Elder brother Shiv Kishan Agrawal went on to build Haldirams Nagpur which had more importance on manufacturing and distribution of namkeen products worldwide.
Haldirams Nagpur set up a big manufacturing unit in Nagpur to begin production at a large scale in the 1970s. They made big changes into packed nankeens, sweets, papads, cookies, and ready-to-eat beverages.
They have retail outlets that combine retail sales areas with eatery options for customers to experience the unique flavours of an Indian snack. But these outlets have limited space within the city of Nagpur.
Haldirams Nagpur retail stores have their presence in all major airports in west and south India to promote the new products globally. Haldirams Nagpur's venture has focused more on occupying shelf space in Indian supermarkets and online sales rather than opening restaurants aggressively.
Products of Haldiram's Nagpur
The brand value of both Nagpur and Delhi combined is estimated to be more than $3 billion dollars. They might have separate operations given the region structure, but the product packaging, costing and advertising strategies are similar.
Even the taste of their nankeens is similar; the recipes have been a family secret for more than 8 decades. Due to this many people need help to differentiate between these brands. It is only when one observes the different brand logos that you are able to understand that both these brands are distinct in their own way.
Together their combined marketing sales have beaten PepsiCo.’s sales to become India’s biggest snack company and have even refused PepsiCo’s provides to buy a stake in Haldirams. American giant Kellogg’s has shown interest in buying a stake as well but the family have remained fiercely private in these offers.
Products of Haldiram's Kolkata
The third brand in the Haldiram venture trilogy Kolkata-based Prabhuji Pure Foods was the first branch Shri Ganga Bishan Agarwal had begun outside of Bikaner but under his original brand name ‘Haldirams’.
It flourished from the 60s era till the 90s but the family lost sight of venture when it got entangled in legal suits over the brand name ownership, an alleged attempt to murder a tea stall owner and the update being the family dispute over the financial assets post the death of one of the owners Mahesh Agarwal.
Even though Prabhuji as a brand shows a lot of potential in the market, it is only in time that you shall know if the family members are able to streamline and work the business more effectively. Else there is always a possibility of a sell-off or a joint business that might be undertaken in order to sustain the brand in the long run.
Marketing Strategy of Haldiram
1) Technology
Leading technical management of the products influenced Haldiram to the next level in maintaining international deals with the long-term shelf life of products. Along with business enhancement, Haldiram entered the e-commerce platform where consumers from every part of the world could access the product and buy it.
Well-rooted in Indian traditional methods and with world-class technology at its disposal, Haldiram is making a mark worldwide. They have also partnered with IRCTC in different states and offer tasty and healthy ready-to-eat meals to Indian passengers on the go.
2) Giving importance to the packaging of the products
During the 90s, Haldiram sold its products without proper packaging. Haldiram was the first Indian company that offered great priority to the packaging and presentation of its snacks in Indian marketing.
It was Manohar Lal Agarwal who inspired the modern-day packaging methods including zip pouch bags, standee pouch packaging, and four-layer structure flexible packaging which is easy to use. This not only increased their brand awareness but also made the brand trustworthy and more famous amongst consumers.
3) Opening more stores and spreading across cities
Haldiram opened stores in various cities. Haldiram offered significant cities in the country. Having stores pan-India hugely increased its popularity among Indian customers. The available strategy increased sales by a huge margin and made the business spread throughout the whole country.
Haldiram Revenue
Haldiram makes $1 Billion in Revenue and $150 Million in Net Profit, more than the total revenue of both McDonald’s and Dominoes. Serving more than 80 countries in the world, and having 400+ products, it is India's largest snack company and legacy business.
Challenges faced by Haldiram
Every successful venture has its ups and downs and success can be achieved in one day. Haldiram also has to go through many challenges like in the year 2015 when a ban in Maggi occurred at that same time many products of Haldiram are also banned by the regulation of the food authority bringing loss in profit making.
And 2015, the FDA of India after various tests gave the Haldiram company a clean chit and after that company took an initiative to tie-up with companies it also offered food facilities to Indian passengers in partnership with the Indian railway and by that the company's success rate again comes in place.
Haldiram future plans
Haldirams New Delhi and Haldirams Nagpur have their own ambitious business growth plans for the future. Haldirams have succeeded in both national and international markets with its well-known products.
The availability of namkeen in small packets costing Rs 5 and Rs 10 which is affordable for consumers has hugely contributed to the recognition of the ‘Haldirams’ as a brand name across India.
But currently, Haldirams New Delhi is aiming more on business diversification into other food segments like getting into the bakery segment.
Haldiram entered the IPO market within 18 months and will open more dine-in restaurants and outlets across India. The venture’s expansion plans, price hike, and a potential entry into Dalal Street.
Manohar Lal Agrawal, Chairman of the company plans to expand on the retail front with restaurants. He said this will encourage customers to visit restaurants and eat freshly cooked food. Haldiram already has 100 restaurants in New Delhi and 30-40 in Nagpur.
The company plans to expand their retail outlets in India and grow the business overseas in global markets.
Another member of the Agrawal family has been able to carve a niche in the same venture under the brand name ‘Bikaji’. Shivratan Agarwal, the creator of ‘Bikaji’ is also the grandson of Shri Ganga Bishan Ji Agarwal known as Haldiram and has been successful in branching out under an entirely different brand name.
The company also plans to leverage the equity in the domestic and international market to become a food corporation with not just branded products under its belt but also restaurants, retail chains and a wide portfolio that includes such diverse products as milk-based foods and noodles.
In the future the company might be in Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Taiwan, Columbia, Cyprus, Ukraine, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Armenia, West Indies, Sweden, Finland, and Trinidad & Tobago.
Today Haldiram exports products to the tune of 10.00 million and hopes to sustain a 40 % growth over the next 5 years. The company also invested considerably in an advanced processing and packaging unit, which enables tradition with technology.
Summary
Haldiram’s, an Indian sweets, snacks, and restaurant venture, became a household name. The business has been ruling the snacks and sweets industry for the past eight decades.
Which began in 1918 as a small shop that has become a venture generating ₹5,000 crores in annual revenues. The success story of Haldiram’s started from a small namkeen shop into a multi-billion dollar company is inspirational for budding entrepreneurs and youth.
FAQ's on Haldiram:
Haldiram's was founded in 1937 by Ganga Bishan Agarwal, fondly known as Haldiram Ji in his household; as a retail sweets and namkeen shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Haldirams is one of India's most famous snacks, sweets and packaged food brands. It has also earned the reputation of being one of the most trusted Indian Superbrands. The popularity of the brand however is mainly due to the unparalleled taste of the products it produces.
While Bikaji has established leadership in Rajasthan, Assam, and Bihar, Haldiram, though present pan-India, has a larger presence in New Delhi and its headquarters in Nagpur.
