From a Bhujia Shop in Bikaner to a Rs 7,000 Crore Empire

Haldiram’s is a well-known Indian brand and an important part of the country’s food industry. The brand is famous for its Indian snacks, loved by people of all ages, and needs no introduction. But many people still wonder who built this multi-crore company.

Haldiram’s began as a small sweet shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The family wanted to change how people viewed traditional Indian snacks and sweets. Over time, the brand grew into a trusted name and became a household favorite across India. Even though the business faced many challenges, it continued to grow and proved its strength over the years.

Who is the founder of Haldiram?

The founder of Haldiram’s is Ganga Bishan Agarwal, who is also known as Haldiram Ji. He started his journey at the age of 12. At that young age, he decided to improve the taste and ingredients of a local snack that later became the famous Haldiram’s bhujia.

He wanted to create a finer and crispier version of bhujia instead of the earlier thick, oily, and less tasty one. His aim was to make a snack that customers would love and find hard to resist.

To do this, he replaced besan (chickpea flour) with moth ki dal (moth flour), a common and easily available ingredient in Rajasthan. This change gave bhujia a unique taste and texture, which eventually helped the product become a huge success.

But the young Agarwal didn’t stop there. He also changed the pricing in a way that turned the snack from a basic item into something more special. His grandfather, Bhikharam, sold it for 2 paise per kg, but he increased the price to 5 paise per kg.

To make the product sound more premium and attractive, he renamed it “Dungar Sev” after Maharaja Dungar Singh. This smart move gave the snack a royal touch and helped the brand stand out even more.

Haldiram’s Success Story

The Agarwal family’s business grew quickly after the price of their special bhujia rose from 2 paise per kilo to 25 paise in the early 1930s. Travelers heading to Kolkata often bought this bhujia for their friends and family, which helped the snack reach new places and gain more popularity. This eventually opened the door for the business to grow beyond Rajasthan.

In the early 1950s, Ganga Bishan Agarwal and his sons Moolchand and Rameshwar Lal opened a shop in Kolkata with support from well-wishers. From there, the brand continued to expand.

The original Haldiram’s Bhujiawala later split into two branches Haldiram’s Prabhuji and Haldiram’s. Both grew rapidly and expanded to many major Indian cities.

Today, different units of Haldiram’s are managed by members of the Agarwal family:

• The Delhi unit is managed by Manoharlal and Madhusudan Agarwal.

• The Nagpur unit is managed by Shiv Kishan Agarwal.

• The Bikaner unit is managed by Shiv Ratan Agarwal.

• The Kolkata unit is managed by Prabhu Agarwal, the son of Rameshwarlal.

Haldiram’s built its reputation by offering high-quality traditional snacks and sweets. Products like sev, bhujia, and many classic Indian sweets helped the brand become a trusted name across the country. The consistent taste and quality of Haldiram’s products earned the loyalty of customers in India and later around the world.

Journey of Haildiram in Delhi

Moolchand’s youngest sons, Manohar Lal and Madhusudan, wanted to start an independent business. The Agarwal family believed in slow, organic growth and avoided taking loans or debt. Because of this, Manohar Lal and his brother Shiv Kishan used all their savings to set up their new business in Delhi.

Haldiram’s began its Delhi operations in 1983 at Chandni Chowk. But the brothers soon faced tough competition. Bhujia was not a new product in Delhi, and well-known brands like Bikanerwala and Ghantewala were already established in the market.

To stand out, the Agarwal brothers created a strategy that focused on adjusting flavors and introducing new products. They worked to match Delhi’s taste preferences and offer something different from their competitors.

Rebuilding Their Business

Manohar Lal built a new business that later became the foundation of the Haldiram’s empire seen today. The young owners focused on innovation and automation, and they worked with the goal of sending their products to even the most remote parts of India.

During the rebuilding phase, the family turned their apartment into a factory almost overnight. The entire family worked long hours and stayed awake through many nights to meet customer demand.

As the business expanded, Manohar Lal began searching for a proper factory space so they could start large-scale production. By the late 1980s, a new factory was set up, and strong distribution became one of the biggest reasons for Haldiram’s success in Delhi.

Even today, the famous ₹5 Haldiram’s bhujia packet is so popular that people at railway stations and small stalls often use it as a substitute for loose change. This simple fact shows how deeply the brand has connected with customers and how far it has come.

Like Many Family Businesses, Haldiram’s Faced Inheritance Disputes

Like many family-run companies, the Haldiram’s family also dealt with inheritance and ownership disputes. In earlier years, Ganga Bishan tried to solve these issues by dividing the business based on territories. Each branch of the family could operate only within the region assigned to them.

According to this agreement, Rameshwar Lal and his sons were allowed to run their business only in West Bengal. This system worked in the beginning, but over time, other branches of the family expanded their businesses in their own regions. As they grew, the territorial agreement became less practical and less beneficial.

In 1991, a major legal conflict began when the Kolkata branch refused to change their brand name to differentiate it from the Delhi brand. This disagreement led to a legal battle that lasted almost 15 years, draining the family’s time, money, and emotional strength.

Finally, in 2013, the Delhi-based Haldiram’s became the sole owner of the “Haldiram’s Bhujiawala” trademark, bringing an end to the long dispute.