Indians love their namkeen. Be it for a regular evening chai or a celebration, snacks like bhujias, chips, murukku or jhal muri, hold a special place in our hearts. The unique blend of spices and the sweet and salty affair that comes in these packets are essential in any Indian home. Bringing a smile on every Indian’s face with its wide range of sweet and savoury snacks is Bikaji Foods, started in 1980s by Shri Shivratan Agarwal, who brought to India the latest technology to create bhujias and is now one of the leading market players.
The zeal to create authentic Indian snacks
It was in the 1980s when the brand Bikaji was founded by Shri Shivratan Agarwal who made the decision to forge his own path and a new identity for himself. He laid the groundwork for his dream venture and travelled the world in search of the best technology to manufacture Bhujia and once he cracked the code, there was no looking back.
When there was no technology available to create Bhujia on a wide scale, Shri Agarwal was able to successfully lay the groundwork for his dream business. He not only travelled the globe to research and co-invent the best technology for making bhujia, but he also succeeded in coming up with a catchy name for the company that would appeal to customers.
In 1986, they set up the establishment of a co-partnership business under the name – Shuvdeep Food Products. It was in 1993 when the brand Bikaji was introduced in the market. From the moment of its inception, Bikaji was loved by all and in 1994 it went overseas as the company started exporting products to UAE. As the demand for the products grew in the market, Shivratan decided that it was time for Bikaji to have its own identity and finally in 1995, they ended the partnership and established themselves as a public limited company.
First steps to success
The love for these Indian snacks was spreading like wildfire and they began exporting to Australia in 1996. After 11 years, in 2006 Bikaji collaborated with three other groups to expand their business.
In 2008, they opened their first-ever store in Mumbai, called Bikaji Food Junction and through the next few years they raised funds and laid stronger grounds for their empire throughout the country
Bikaji operates six manufacturing facilities: four in Bikaner, Rajasthan; one in Guwahati, Assam; one in Tumakuru, Karnataka, which is owned by their subsidiary Petunt Food Processors Private Limited and serves the southern markets of India; and one contract manufacturing unit in Kolkata, West Bengal, with which they have a non-exclusive contract manufacturing agreement that primarily benefits us. Additionally, they are also in Mumbai where they manage the sales of their restaurants.
Bikaji is a badge of respect in India that comes from Bika Rao, the founder of Bikaner. Giving the globe a taste of ‘Aslee Parampara’ was Shri Agarwal’s goal. He aimed to spread genuine Indian flavours that reflected India’s culture and beliefs to every consumer. Through the years, Bikaji has used the power of ethnic eating to win over hearts all around the world. With a wide range of goods and creative packaging, Bikaji has strengthened its commitment to bringing real Indian flavour to the rest of the globe.
According to a report by Moneycontrol, Bikaji’s revenue from operations increased 30% to Rs 1,611 crore for fiscal 2022 from Rs 1,311 crore for fiscal 2021. This growth was primarily attributable to an increase in the sale of food products and an increase in volume and realisation of products, in particular, bhujia, namkeen, papad, western snacks, and packaged sweets. In contrast, the company’s net profit for FY22 was Rs 76 crore. Operational revenue was Rs 419.16 crore for the three months that ended on June 30, 2022, while net profit was Rs 15.70 crore.
