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Bhujia Barons: The Untold Story of How Haldiram Built a Rs 5000-crore Empire
How a family-run business from humble Bikaner transformed Haldiram into a global, much-loved brand
In the early twentieth century, a young man, Ganga Bhishan Agarwal, aka Haldiram, gained a reputation for making the best bhujia in town. Fast-forward a century and the Haldiram’s empire has revenue much greater than that of McDonald’s and Domino’s combined.
In Bhujia Barons, Pavitra Kumar tells the riveting story of the Agarwal family in its entirety—a feat never managed before. It begins in dusty, benign Bikaner and traces the rise and rise of this home-grown label, now one of the most-recognized Indian brands in the world.
The Haldiram’s story is not an average business story—it’s chock-full of family drama, with court cases, jealousy-fuelled regional expansion, a decades-old trademark battle, and a closely guarded family secret of the famous bhujia. Fast-paced and captivating, this book provides a delicious look into family business dynamics and the Indian way of doing business.
In the early twentieth century, a young man, Ganga Bhishan Agarwal, aka Haldiram, gained a reputation for making the best bhujia in town. Fast-forward a century and the Haldiram’s empire has revenue much greater than that of McDonald’s and Domino’s combined.
In Bhujia Barons, Pavitra Kumar tells the riveting story of the Agarwal family in its entirety—a feat never managed before. It begins in dusty, benign Bikaner and traces the rise and rise of this home-grown label, now one of the most-recognized Indian brands in the world.
The Haldiram’s story is not an average business story—it’s chock-full of family drama, with court cases, jealousy-fuelled regional expansion, a decades-old trademark battle, and a closely guarded family secret of the famous bhujia. Fast-paced and captivating, this book provides a delicious look into family business dynamics and the Indian way of doing business.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2016
101 people are currently reading
1154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
November 10, 2017
Extremely disappointed. Sheer waste of time. Should have re-read "The Pantaloons Story" or "Beyond the last blue mountain " instead. The author just tried to cash on the brand Haldiram rather than tell the story of one of what could have been a excellent case of rags to riches story.
What I expected :
1) Know more about marwari style of business. How they groom their kids right from an early age to be businessmen.
2) Role of marwari women in business . They are behind the scenes , but play a vital role at the same time.
3) How they got involved in packaged food business and took their products to supermarkets, selling packaged bhujia in an era when it was a street food and when consuming products which had a longer shelf life was a strict no no. How did they convince customers?
4) How they ventured in international market?
5) How they added new product lines in their kitty?
6) How is each section- Nagpur, Kolkata and Delhi similar and how are they different? Their core values and business styles?
7) Vision of the founders vs vision of the current generation.
What I learnt :
1) How Haldiram tried and tested and came across a "formula" and sold it ..then took it to Kolkata and sold it ..seemed way more easier than it actually was, I bet.
2) Juicy details of the Prabhu Agarwal case. ( a good number of pages devoted to it ....would have preferred to know more about the quality control processes of the businesses , thank you very much !)
3) Legal cases (a huge chapter!)
4) Biased stories (isnt a biographer supposed to be neutral????) . Some members of the families are made to look like heroes while others (especially women) are made to look like vamps right out of a certain Ms Kapoor's shows in the 2000s.
Worst thing is, I never got to know how was the 5000 crore empire built? Wikipedia mentions the annual turnover as 35 billion and even the reference given in the book ' http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/hald... ' mentions 3500 crore. So how did the author arrive at 5000 crore figure? Does this take into account other breakaway groups as well??? Well ,I guess I would have to find elsewhere.
Ironically, the much in discussion 'legal trademark' is no where shown in the book . Where are the pictures of all the different stores from Nagpur,Kolkata ,Delhi and Bikaner. The least we could have seen was the place where it all started- the original store in Bikaner .
What I expected :
1) Know more about marwari style of business. How they groom their kids right from an early age to be businessmen.
2) Role of marwari women in business . They are behind the scenes , but play a vital role at the same time.
3) How they got involved in packaged food business and took their products to supermarkets, selling packaged bhujia in an era when it was a street food and when consuming products which had a longer shelf life was a strict no no. How did they convince customers?
4) How they ventured in international market?
5) How they added new product lines in their kitty?
6) How is each section- Nagpur, Kolkata and Delhi similar and how are they different? Their core values and business styles?
7) Vision of the founders vs vision of the current generation.
What I learnt :
1) How Haldiram tried and tested and came across a "formula" and sold it ..then took it to Kolkata and sold it ..seemed way more easier than it actually was, I bet.
2) Juicy details of the Prabhu Agarwal case. ( a good number of pages devoted to it ....would have preferred to know more about the quality control processes of the businesses , thank you very much !)
3) Legal cases (a huge chapter!)
4) Biased stories (isnt a biographer supposed to be neutral????) . Some members of the families are made to look like heroes while others (especially women) are made to look like vamps right out of a certain Ms Kapoor's shows in the 2000s.
Worst thing is, I never got to know how was the 5000 crore empire built? Wikipedia mentions the annual turnover as 35 billion and even the reference given in the book ' http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/hald... ' mentions 3500 crore. So how did the author arrive at 5000 crore figure? Does this take into account other breakaway groups as well??? Well ,I guess I would have to find elsewhere.
Ironically, the much in discussion 'legal trademark' is no where shown in the book . Where are the pictures of all the different stores from Nagpur,Kolkata ,Delhi and Bikaner. The least we could have seen was the place where it all started- the original store in Bikaner .
February 19, 2020
Not Spicy Enough
Growing up as a Marwari in Calcutta with the bhujia as an integral part of the diet, Haldiram’s and Bhikharam Chandmal were and still hold an extremely important position in one’s life. Hence, it was only natural to want to explore the story behind the same through Pavitra Kumar’s Bhujia Barons.
The book traces the genesis of the humble bhujia, one of the most common snacks in large parts of India (except the South maybe) and the hard-earned success of the family which immortalised this snack – the family of Haldiram Ji. It provides a lot of interesting snippets on how the product came about, the initial struggles, the various experiments and the expansion of the business from one tiny shop in Bikaner to a vast, sprawling branded snacks business across the country.
The book presents a reasonable chronology of the defining events which led to the creation of this complex empire with multiple distinct ownerships, overlapping geographies and confusing brand story. What is most interesting about the book is how it brings out the key drivers behind the success of the brand – customer centricity, product expansion, geographic expansion and packaging. It also brings out the work ethic of the founding family, which seems to pervade the business even as the 3rd generation takes charge.
The book does not shy away from talking about the two key controversies with the brand – the criminal acts of Prabhu Agarwal, the scion of one of the Calcutta branches, and the decades long brand ownership battle which languishes in the courts. On the first, the author does make a credible attempt to provide the background to the attempted murder of a poor chaiwallah, on the second, it fails to go beyond conjecture on the genesis of the brand battle.
In general, the book seems more like a chronological narrative than the story of bhujia and the first family of bhujia. Besides, the writing suffers from excessive platitudes and generalisations especially about how Marwari families function and uses this as a framework to justify most actions or inactions of the Agarwal family. The author also misses large chunks of the story by providing at best a perfunctory reference to other successful brands within the group including Bikaji’s and Bhikharam Chandmal.
It indeed is a complex story which is still being played out in the present tense. Hence, one cannot but imagine the challenge faced by the author. However, one does come away with a sense of unsatiated appetite due to the author’s lack of imaginative structuring and failure to ask tough questions.
A missed opportunity.
Growing up as a Marwari in Calcutta with the bhujia as an integral part of the diet, Haldiram’s and Bhikharam Chandmal were and still hold an extremely important position in one’s life. Hence, it was only natural to want to explore the story behind the same through Pavitra Kumar’s Bhujia Barons.
The book traces the genesis of the humble bhujia, one of the most common snacks in large parts of India (except the South maybe) and the hard-earned success of the family which immortalised this snack – the family of Haldiram Ji. It provides a lot of interesting snippets on how the product came about, the initial struggles, the various experiments and the expansion of the business from one tiny shop in Bikaner to a vast, sprawling branded snacks business across the country.
The book presents a reasonable chronology of the defining events which led to the creation of this complex empire with multiple distinct ownerships, overlapping geographies and confusing brand story. What is most interesting about the book is how it brings out the key drivers behind the success of the brand – customer centricity, product expansion, geographic expansion and packaging. It also brings out the work ethic of the founding family, which seems to pervade the business even as the 3rd generation takes charge.
The book does not shy away from talking about the two key controversies with the brand – the criminal acts of Prabhu Agarwal, the scion of one of the Calcutta branches, and the decades long brand ownership battle which languishes in the courts. On the first, the author does make a credible attempt to provide the background to the attempted murder of a poor chaiwallah, on the second, it fails to go beyond conjecture on the genesis of the brand battle.
In general, the book seems more like a chronological narrative than the story of bhujia and the first family of bhujia. Besides, the writing suffers from excessive platitudes and generalisations especially about how Marwari families function and uses this as a framework to justify most actions or inactions of the Agarwal family. The author also misses large chunks of the story by providing at best a perfunctory reference to other successful brands within the group including Bikaji’s and Bhikharam Chandmal.
It indeed is a complex story which is still being played out in the present tense. Hence, one cannot but imagine the challenge faced by the author. However, one does come away with a sense of unsatiated appetite due to the author’s lack of imaginative structuring and failure to ask tough questions.
A missed opportunity.
January 26, 2023
Nightmare of a book — rambling, incoherent, and at the end of the day, absolutely trivial. Ugh.
August 21, 2025
When you open Pavitra Kumar’s Bhujia Barons: The Untold Story of How Haldiram Built a Rs 5000-crore Empire, you’re stepping into more than just a book about food. You are walking into a saga that is part family drama, part business history, and part cultural study of how India eats and dreams.
Published in 2019, it traces the improbable journey of a humble snack—bhujia, those thin golden strands of fried gram flour seasoned with spices—from a small shop in Bikaner to the shelves of supermarkets in London, New York, and Dubai.
It is the story of how one man’s innovation and one family’s persistence transformed Haldiram’s into a household name, one of India’s largest and most trusted brands, all without slick advertising campaigns or the kind of branding orthodoxy that business schools love to preach.
The story begins in 1937 with Ganga Bishan Agarwal, a man better known by his nickname “Haldiram.” His simple but genius idea was to take the traditional, somewhat thick and rustic bhujia of Bikaner and reimagine it into something thinner, crispier, and more addictive.
It is striking how often entrepreneurial revolutions begin with such small tweaks. No one had asked for a different bhujia, but when people tasted Haldiram’s lighter, crunchier version, they knew they couldn’t go back. Word of mouth did the rest, and soon Bikaner’s snack landscape had been altered forever. What Kumar does well in her telling is to emphasise how small innovations, when grounded in cultural habits, can explode into large-scale revolutions.
But the story of Haldiram’s is not merely the story of a brilliant product. It is also the story of family—family as an engine of growth and family as a source of endless complication. As the years passed and different branches of the family set up shop in different cities—Nagpur, Delhi, and Kolkata—the empire of Haldiram’s fragmented.
Each branch ran its own business, competed for territory, and often clashed bitterly. And yet, paradoxically, this division also propelled growth. Instead of one company slowly expanding, you had multiple units spreading across India, each trying to outdo the other while still basking in the collective glow of the name “Haldiram’s”. It is a rare case in business where fragmentation did not destroy but rather fertilised expansion.
Of course, it was not without its problems: court cases, disputes, and endless succession wrangles are part of the backdrop. But the end result was a brand that penetrated India’s snack culture far deeper than any single corporate entity might have achieved.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is the way it explains Haldiram’s unusual relationship with branding. In an age where logos, mascots, jingles, and brand ambassadors dominate marketing, Haldiram’s is a glaring exception. There is no single unified logo, no cartoon mascot to appeal to children, and no omnipresent slogan. Instead, there is simply the name itself, scrawled in various forms by different branches, and above all, the lived experience of quality.
You eat a packet of Haldiram’s bhujia or soan papdi, and you know what you’re getting: consistency, trust, and the taste of India itself. That’s the logo. For entrepreneurs, this is both inspiring and unsettling. It suggests that in some cases, trust in taste and experience can outweigh the polished strategies of branding experts. The product, in other words, can speak louder than the packaging.
As the business expanded through the 1980s and 1990s, the shift from local shop sales to packaged foods was decisive. Loose snacks in tins gave way to sealed packets with a standardised shelf life, suited to modern retail.
This may sound obvious now, but in a time when Indian consumers were just beginning to step into supermarkets and department stores, the decision to adapt packaging and distribution proved visionary. Kumar shows how Haldiram’s did not remain trapped in nostalgia but steadily reinvented itself. From bhujia and soan papdi, the company expanded into potato chips, frozen samosas, ready-to-eat meals, and even restaurants. What stands out is not wild diversification but an uncanny ability to sense when tradition should be preserved and when modernity had to be embraced.
The globalisation of Haldiram’s is another remarkable chapter. Indian migrants across the world carried with them a craving for the flavours of home, and Haldiram’s stepped into that gap. In the United States, the UK, the Middle East, you could suddenly find packets of bhujia, tins of gulab jamun, and frozen parathas bearing the name.
This is where the company’s strategy shines: it kept its products authentically Indian while dressing them in international packaging and maintaining rigorous quality standards. It was the classic “glocal” move—think global, act local—but with a twist, because Haldiram’s never diluted its Indianness. If anything, it leaned into it, making Indian snacks aspirational even in foreign supermarkets.
Kumar writes the story with an eye for both detail and drama. She dives into oral histories, family anecdotes, and archival records, giving the book the flavour of both a business case study and a multigenerational saga.
The feuds are described not as dry conflicts but as near-epic battles, where pride, loyalty, and ambition collide.
And yet she never loses sight of the larger picture: this is a story about how India’s snack culture itself evolved. Reading it, you realise that globalisation is not only about McDonald’s and Coke entering India, but also about bhujia and soan papdi entering Heathrow and JFK.
What makes Bhujia Barons so valuable is its layered message for entrepreneurs. The first lesson is that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel—sometimes rethinking the texture of bhujia is enough to create a revolution. The second is that family businesses, however messy, are formidable engines of growth if quality is non-negotiable. The third is that adaptation is survival. From packaging innovations to distribution strategies, Haldiram’s has managed to stay relevant across eras.
And finally, the book illustrates how authenticity, not imitation, is the key to global success. Haldiram’s did not try to become Pringles or Kit Kat; it remained true to Indian tastes and simply learnt to present them better.
The challenges, of course, are not glossed over. Brand confusion due to multiple factions, competition from companies like ITC and Bikaji, and the perennial problem of succession planning loom large. Kumar is honest about these issues, which makes the triumphs feel more hard-earned. The empire is not a smooth-running machine but a sprawling, occasionally chaotic, yet undeniably powerful entity. In that sense, it mirrors India itself: fragmented, contradictory, and still somehow unstoppable.
For me, the enduring impression of Bhujia Barons is how it situates food at the intersection of culture, economy, and identity. Bhujia is not just a snack—it is memory, comfort, and community. When a brand like Haldiram’s builds itself around such a product, it is tapping into something much deeper than consumer demand; it is feeding nostalgia and pride. Kumar captures this beautifully, reminding us that business history is also cultural history, and that empires can be built not just on steel and software, but on chickpea flour and spices.
By the time you finish the book, you realise that Haldiram’s is both ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary, because it began as one man’s tweak to a local recipe. Extraordinary, because from that small act of culinary creativity arose a global empire that now employs thousands and defines India’s snacking habits.
It is both a cautionary tale of family disputes and a triumphant story of resilience. Above all, it is proof that business empires don’t always need corporate polish, consultants, or brand gurus; sometimes they just need a perfect crunch and a family stubborn enough to keep frying.
Published in 2019, it traces the improbable journey of a humble snack—bhujia, those thin golden strands of fried gram flour seasoned with spices—from a small shop in Bikaner to the shelves of supermarkets in London, New York, and Dubai.
It is the story of how one man’s innovation and one family’s persistence transformed Haldiram’s into a household name, one of India’s largest and most trusted brands, all without slick advertising campaigns or the kind of branding orthodoxy that business schools love to preach.
The story begins in 1937 with Ganga Bishan Agarwal, a man better known by his nickname “Haldiram.” His simple but genius idea was to take the traditional, somewhat thick and rustic bhujia of Bikaner and reimagine it into something thinner, crispier, and more addictive.
It is striking how often entrepreneurial revolutions begin with such small tweaks. No one had asked for a different bhujia, but when people tasted Haldiram’s lighter, crunchier version, they knew they couldn’t go back. Word of mouth did the rest, and soon Bikaner’s snack landscape had been altered forever. What Kumar does well in her telling is to emphasise how small innovations, when grounded in cultural habits, can explode into large-scale revolutions.
But the story of Haldiram’s is not merely the story of a brilliant product. It is also the story of family—family as an engine of growth and family as a source of endless complication. As the years passed and different branches of the family set up shop in different cities—Nagpur, Delhi, and Kolkata—the empire of Haldiram’s fragmented.
Each branch ran its own business, competed for territory, and often clashed bitterly. And yet, paradoxically, this division also propelled growth. Instead of one company slowly expanding, you had multiple units spreading across India, each trying to outdo the other while still basking in the collective glow of the name “Haldiram’s”. It is a rare case in business where fragmentation did not destroy but rather fertilised expansion.
Of course, it was not without its problems: court cases, disputes, and endless succession wrangles are part of the backdrop. But the end result was a brand that penetrated India’s snack culture far deeper than any single corporate entity might have achieved.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is the way it explains Haldiram’s unusual relationship with branding. In an age where logos, mascots, jingles, and brand ambassadors dominate marketing, Haldiram’s is a glaring exception. There is no single unified logo, no cartoon mascot to appeal to children, and no omnipresent slogan. Instead, there is simply the name itself, scrawled in various forms by different branches, and above all, the lived experience of quality.
You eat a packet of Haldiram’s bhujia or soan papdi, and you know what you’re getting: consistency, trust, and the taste of India itself. That’s the logo. For entrepreneurs, this is both inspiring and unsettling. It suggests that in some cases, trust in taste and experience can outweigh the polished strategies of branding experts. The product, in other words, can speak louder than the packaging.
As the business expanded through the 1980s and 1990s, the shift from local shop sales to packaged foods was decisive. Loose snacks in tins gave way to sealed packets with a standardised shelf life, suited to modern retail.
This may sound obvious now, but in a time when Indian consumers were just beginning to step into supermarkets and department stores, the decision to adapt packaging and distribution proved visionary. Kumar shows how Haldiram’s did not remain trapped in nostalgia but steadily reinvented itself. From bhujia and soan papdi, the company expanded into potato chips, frozen samosas, ready-to-eat meals, and even restaurants. What stands out is not wild diversification but an uncanny ability to sense when tradition should be preserved and when modernity had to be embraced.
The globalisation of Haldiram’s is another remarkable chapter. Indian migrants across the world carried with them a craving for the flavours of home, and Haldiram’s stepped into that gap. In the United States, the UK, the Middle East, you could suddenly find packets of bhujia, tins of gulab jamun, and frozen parathas bearing the name.
This is where the company’s strategy shines: it kept its products authentically Indian while dressing them in international packaging and maintaining rigorous quality standards. It was the classic “glocal” move—think global, act local—but with a twist, because Haldiram’s never diluted its Indianness. If anything, it leaned into it, making Indian snacks aspirational even in foreign supermarkets.
Kumar writes the story with an eye for both detail and drama. She dives into oral histories, family anecdotes, and archival records, giving the book the flavour of both a business case study and a multigenerational saga.
The feuds are described not as dry conflicts but as near-epic battles, where pride, loyalty, and ambition collide.
And yet she never loses sight of the larger picture: this is a story about how India’s snack culture itself evolved. Reading it, you realise that globalisation is not only about McDonald’s and Coke entering India, but also about bhujia and soan papdi entering Heathrow and JFK.
What makes Bhujia Barons so valuable is its layered message for entrepreneurs. The first lesson is that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel—sometimes rethinking the texture of bhujia is enough to create a revolution. The second is that family businesses, however messy, are formidable engines of growth if quality is non-negotiable. The third is that adaptation is survival. From packaging innovations to distribution strategies, Haldiram’s has managed to stay relevant across eras.
And finally, the book illustrates how authenticity, not imitation, is the key to global success. Haldiram’s did not try to become Pringles or Kit Kat; it remained true to Indian tastes and simply learnt to present them better.
The challenges, of course, are not glossed over. Brand confusion due to multiple factions, competition from companies like ITC and Bikaji, and the perennial problem of succession planning loom large. Kumar is honest about these issues, which makes the triumphs feel more hard-earned. The empire is not a smooth-running machine but a sprawling, occasionally chaotic, yet undeniably powerful entity. In that sense, it mirrors India itself: fragmented, contradictory, and still somehow unstoppable.
For me, the enduring impression of Bhujia Barons is how it situates food at the intersection of culture, economy, and identity. Bhujia is not just a snack—it is memory, comfort, and community. When a brand like Haldiram’s builds itself around such a product, it is tapping into something much deeper than consumer demand; it is feeding nostalgia and pride. Kumar captures this beautifully, reminding us that business history is also cultural history, and that empires can be built not just on steel and software, but on chickpea flour and spices.
By the time you finish the book, you realise that Haldiram’s is both ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary, because it began as one man’s tweak to a local recipe. Extraordinary, because from that small act of culinary creativity arose a global empire that now employs thousands and defines India’s snacking habits.
It is both a cautionary tale of family disputes and a triumphant story of resilience. Above all, it is proof that business empires don’t always need corporate polish, consultants, or brand gurus; sometimes they just need a perfect crunch and a family stubborn enough to keep frying.
December 30, 2017
This book is not just about how Haldirams came into existence, but about how one's passion can become coming 3 generations' everything.
If you want to become an entrepreneur or want to lead your family business in a better way, THIS IS A MUST READ.
If you want to become an entrepreneur or want to lead your family business in a better way, THIS IS A MUST READ.
January 16, 2022
Bhujia Barons - Book Review
Call out: This is NOT a buy recommendation.
Haldiram's has fascinated me ever since I married Chhavi Kejriwal, whose original home was in Chandni Chowk). When I visited my sasural (in-laws house) for the first time, they served me diamond-shaped paneer cutlets from Haldirams. I loved them and couldn't get enough! 31 yrs later, I still eat them when I visit Delhi!
The book "Bhujia Barons" is a 2.5/5 - it lacks depth, detail, inquisitiveness & research. Still, it does a decent job of giving the reader a vague idea of how Haldiram became a household Indian brand.
Significant takeaways and learnings:
-" 'Let your senses guide you,' is what his father had said to him the first time, and his father before him. So, rolling up his sleeves, Pankaj went about collecting spices and some plain bhujia and settled himself at the mixing table, letting his thoughts wander".
= Constantly innovating to improve, improve, improve.
- "..he spent hours with the mesh maker, overseeing the hammering and puncturing of the thin sheets of steel, to ensure the holes would be small enough and the mesh curved just right to the outcome to be light, skinny and crispy, bhujia we know today".
= nothing is ready-made. You have even to make the tools before you make your product!)
- "Every morning, Haldiram and his wife were up long before sunrise, at 2 a.m. Both husband and wife would be at the shop; Champa Devi mixed the batter and kneaded the dough, while our master bhujia maker blended in the spices and prepared the actual bhujia himself".
= NOTHING beats slogging & working extremely hard.
- 'Only 15 per cent of family businesses make it past the third generation'.
= Starting up is hard. Sustaining a business is ten times harder!
- "Let it go on record that I said that packaging was the main reason behind all of our successes."
= Success can come from BEYOND the product or service!
- Challenges in building a business in Bengal (Horrible labour laws etc.).
- The bittersweet relationship between sons and fathers.
- The massive confusion/ litigation between the three families that prevent the businesses from IPO / owning trademarks with definite clarity
(= 'family' business gets compromised by emotions & lack of paperwork between members. Things are always 'left hanging').
- Education was never being given importance in Marwari families
(= my case, for example (Just a B-Com). My lesson - NOTHING beats a super education).
All 255 notes here - https://lnkd.in/ejcf5NBt
Call out: This is NOT a buy recommendation.
Haldiram's has fascinated me ever since I married Chhavi Kejriwal, whose original home was in Chandni Chowk). When I visited my sasural (in-laws house) for the first time, they served me diamond-shaped paneer cutlets from Haldirams. I loved them and couldn't get enough! 31 yrs later, I still eat them when I visit Delhi!
The book "Bhujia Barons" is a 2.5/5 - it lacks depth, detail, inquisitiveness & research. Still, it does a decent job of giving the reader a vague idea of how Haldiram became a household Indian brand.
Significant takeaways and learnings:
-" 'Let your senses guide you,' is what his father had said to him the first time, and his father before him. So, rolling up his sleeves, Pankaj went about collecting spices and some plain bhujia and settled himself at the mixing table, letting his thoughts wander".
= Constantly innovating to improve, improve, improve.
- "..he spent hours with the mesh maker, overseeing the hammering and puncturing of the thin sheets of steel, to ensure the holes would be small enough and the mesh curved just right to the outcome to be light, skinny and crispy, bhujia we know today".
= nothing is ready-made. You have even to make the tools before you make your product!)
- "Every morning, Haldiram and his wife were up long before sunrise, at 2 a.m. Both husband and wife would be at the shop; Champa Devi mixed the batter and kneaded the dough, while our master bhujia maker blended in the spices and prepared the actual bhujia himself".
= NOTHING beats slogging & working extremely hard.
- 'Only 15 per cent of family businesses make it past the third generation'.
= Starting up is hard. Sustaining a business is ten times harder!
- "Let it go on record that I said that packaging was the main reason behind all of our successes."
= Success can come from BEYOND the product or service!
- Challenges in building a business in Bengal (Horrible labour laws etc.).
- The bittersweet relationship between sons and fathers.
- The massive confusion/ litigation between the three families that prevent the businesses from IPO / owning trademarks with definite clarity
(= 'family' business gets compromised by emotions & lack of paperwork between members. Things are always 'left hanging').
- Education was never being given importance in Marwari families
(= my case, for example (Just a B-Com). My lesson - NOTHING beats a super education).
All 255 notes here - https://lnkd.in/ejcf5NBt
August 22, 2016
A riveting and engaging story of the Agrawal clan which built and owns the various versions of Haldiram brands in different parts of the country. Nagpur being my hometown where the second biggest branch of the Haldiram brand is based, the brand is ubiquitous and much-loved and I grew up hearing about and seeing the members of its family at close quarters in community functions, I was all the more curious to know its origins and what made it so successful. Along with hard work which is a hygiene factor for all successful family businesses, it was the ability to think long term and an intuitive understanding of the importance of branding, packaging and distribution that took the brand ahead of the game and sealed its pole position on the totem pole.
The "5000 crore empire" the book talks about is not really that though; while the combined turnover of the various brands under the Haldiram umbrella may be that figure, they might as well be completely different companies given that they are run independently with no connection on paper whatsoever.
The book covers the story of the brand from all possible angles and in sufficient detail- the family's origins and how it branched and fanned out, the toil and hard work and the broad sequence of events that built the brand into what it is today, the charitable ventures of the family, the constant intra-familial clashes typical of Indian business families which led to continuous divisions, the shady past of one particular member, the epic battle for the Haldiram trademark that has raged for 24 yours and shows no sign of concluding and the vision and drive of the current generation of the family that aims to professionalize the business and take it to the next level. Even the family's social values, customs and beliefs have been given space.
The "5000 crore empire" the book talks about is not really that though; while the combined turnover of the various brands under the Haldiram umbrella may be that figure, they might as well be completely different companies given that they are run independently with no connection on paper whatsoever.
The book covers the story of the brand from all possible angles and in sufficient detail- the family's origins and how it branched and fanned out, the toil and hard work and the broad sequence of events that built the brand into what it is today, the charitable ventures of the family, the constant intra-familial clashes typical of Indian business families which led to continuous divisions, the shady past of one particular member, the epic battle for the Haldiram trademark that has raged for 24 yours and shows no sign of concluding and the vision and drive of the current generation of the family that aims to professionalize the business and take it to the next level. Even the family's social values, customs and beliefs have been given space.
February 24, 2017
Very good read. It has been a revelation read about the story India's favorite snack and the family feuds associated to it.
March 26, 2019
It was a nice peek into traditional family-owned business and the ubiquitously successful marwari entrepreneurs through perhaps the most-loved food superbrand of our times, the #Haldirams. Having grownup in Rajasthan, I could easily relate to the "bhujia" being part of literally every snack. However, other than the occasional media stories, I didn't have much insights into how it all came to be. Given that there were ~300 such bhujia-makers in Bikaner alone, but perhaps only Haldirams grew out of the small town and became such a global name, speaks a lot about the vision, passion and tenacity of the founders and the family.
We are mostly used to reading about western businesses but reading this book was in many ways no different from that - the vision of founder, the relentless drive and daily struggles of entrepreneurs, challenges of building a brand, etc. are fairly universal challenges. Of course, one thing unique about this story was the internal family feud, despite which the brand continues to grow. And the last thing that might be sadly very India specific is the extremely tough operating environment that makes is so tough for entrepreneurs to launch, build and scale a business idea. Hopefully, the next set of entrepreneurs will face less of those headwinds!
We are mostly used to reading about western businesses but reading this book was in many ways no different from that - the vision of founder, the relentless drive and daily struggles of entrepreneurs, challenges of building a brand, etc. are fairly universal challenges. Of course, one thing unique about this story was the internal family feud, despite which the brand continues to grow. And the last thing that might be sadly very India specific is the extremely tough operating environment that makes is so tough for entrepreneurs to launch, build and scale a business idea. Hopefully, the next set of entrepreneurs will face less of those headwinds!
January 30, 2019
An interesting read
An interesting read about an unnoticed behemoth of a company. Very smartly titled (which is the main reason I got to reading this), it chronologically describes the journey of the company.
It’s more informative than inspirational. Recommended to those who like business origin stories and entrepreneurship stuff.
An interesting read about an unnoticed behemoth of a company. Very smartly titled (which is the main reason I got to reading this), it chronologically describes the journey of the company.
It’s more informative than inspirational. Recommended to those who like business origin stories and entrepreneurship stuff.
July 20, 2019
Bhujia Baron is the story of how today's Haldiram's was conceptualised and came into existence.
It's an inspiring story of how a family without any formal education set up this behemoth with their natural instincts for building business and creating long lasting relationships.
I feel, the writing could have been a much more thrilling and inspiring. I felt the author was jumping from one subject to another too often. Nevertheless, covering lives of 6 generations is not an easy task, specially when they are divided and separate.
It's an inspiring story of how a family without any formal education set up this behemoth with their natural instincts for building business and creating long lasting relationships.
I feel, the writing could have been a much more thrilling and inspiring. I felt the author was jumping from one subject to another too often. Nevertheless, covering lives of 6 generations is not an easy task, specially when they are divided and separate.
August 22, 2021
Been a loyalist of the brand since forever, but I had no clue about their history which made me pick gid book up.
It's written well, and covers the important aspects of what one needs to know about the business and what makes it a favourite brand.
A good read.
It's written well, and covers the important aspects of what one needs to know about the business and what makes it a favourite brand.
A good read.
June 30, 2022
It is a okay book..it brings in the history of how it all started and moved but would have loved more if the author has put in more of business insights on how the business grew. As of now a lot of it was about the fights among members and women of the family playing a part it in (not sure of the proof of it) but it seemed like soap operas😏
August 29, 2016
For a first time author Pavithra Kumar did a great job. It was fantastic to know the humble beginnings of the family. It was like watching an old Bollywood Movie and slowly shifting to the more modern setting. The journey through the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and through 2000 and then through 2016 was an eye opener. what could make a business could Mar it as well. The familial ties and the innate ambition that fuelled their growth to multimillion dollar business also proved to be marring their growth in the present. Lack of legal structures that preserved the values of the old, were proven to be the bane of the fall out between the latest of Haldiram's great grandsons.
All in all this is a must read for business graduates and young entrepreneurs.
All in all this is a must read for business graduates and young entrepreneurs.
February 4, 2021
Haldiram's is a typical Bollywood story which the author could have presented in a better way. With an aim to understand the organization, I felt satisfied. But it needed an effort to keep reading on as it gets really pale in the middle. The best part as expected is the court battle and the foundation story.
June 1, 2021
So recently I finished reading this book and guys, it was an amazing read, just like the epic journey of Haldiram's.
It explains the journey of an empire which started from a small street shop with Rs100 something and is today having a business worth rupees thousand crores, not only in India but across the world! Every Indian now know a name called ‘Haldiram' and another called 'bhujia’, and it took whole lot of hard-work, passion, shattered as well as fulfilled dreams and 20+ years of long court room sessions to build these men of Agarwal family, from a small place in Bikaner, Rajasthan, their identity as the second largest snack food giant in the world.
Since the book has not gained much fame, because of its only target audience of people who like to read business biographies, I will recommend it to all those enthusiasts who like to read about real life business giants, wants to gain/read about marketing and business with a touch of family drama in it.
The book is written with the sentiments of marwari group of businessmen (Haldiram family), with the vision of a person, Ganga Bhishen Agarwal aka Haldiram, who took a step to shook Indian food market from a single item called bhujia at the age of around 12, and went on spreading its wings through generations to come. Today, the Agarwal family's fourth and fifth generation is in charge of the business and has taken it to new heights.
The book tells us the story of people of Agarwal family, starting from 1930–40s era, when there was no formal education and they never learnt anything from anybody except their own sense of intuitions, observations and inherited qualities. It tells us about the power of a dish, a woman in their family used to make, and how it turned their fortunes forever. The bitter truth is, though, women in the family never received the due importance or credit, when it comes to decisions outside kitchen!
But the men in the family were quite visionary and had always knew the importance of branding, marketing, hygiene, quality of service and never failed to put its customers first approach, even without any business education or MBAs. Each generation of the family was even better than the previous ones in terms of visions and dreams, and knew ways to implement it. Though the Agarwal cousins went through numerous ups and downs and are still going through them, in terms of brand name wars and family vengeance and allegations, they never failed to dream for greater heights and set up new benchmarks food and snacks industry across the world.
Since I am an MBA aspirant and a business enthusiast myself, I really liked this book. And, I think, at least every Indian should know and get motivated by the story of famous brand, where their families tend to go at the time of get togethers, or for taking a bite on some delicious North Indian cuisines and sweets!
It explains the journey of an empire which started from a small street shop with Rs100 something and is today having a business worth rupees thousand crores, not only in India but across the world! Every Indian now know a name called ‘Haldiram' and another called 'bhujia’, and it took whole lot of hard-work, passion, shattered as well as fulfilled dreams and 20+ years of long court room sessions to build these men of Agarwal family, from a small place in Bikaner, Rajasthan, their identity as the second largest snack food giant in the world.
Since the book has not gained much fame, because of its only target audience of people who like to read business biographies, I will recommend it to all those enthusiasts who like to read about real life business giants, wants to gain/read about marketing and business with a touch of family drama in it.
The book is written with the sentiments of marwari group of businessmen (Haldiram family), with the vision of a person, Ganga Bhishen Agarwal aka Haldiram, who took a step to shook Indian food market from a single item called bhujia at the age of around 12, and went on spreading its wings through generations to come. Today, the Agarwal family's fourth and fifth generation is in charge of the business and has taken it to new heights.
The book tells us the story of people of Agarwal family, starting from 1930–40s era, when there was no formal education and they never learnt anything from anybody except their own sense of intuitions, observations and inherited qualities. It tells us about the power of a dish, a woman in their family used to make, and how it turned their fortunes forever. The bitter truth is, though, women in the family never received the due importance or credit, when it comes to decisions outside kitchen!
But the men in the family were quite visionary and had always knew the importance of branding, marketing, hygiene, quality of service and never failed to put its customers first approach, even without any business education or MBAs. Each generation of the family was even better than the previous ones in terms of visions and dreams, and knew ways to implement it. Though the Agarwal cousins went through numerous ups and downs and are still going through them, in terms of brand name wars and family vengeance and allegations, they never failed to dream for greater heights and set up new benchmarks food and snacks industry across the world.
Since I am an MBA aspirant and a business enthusiast myself, I really liked this book. And, I think, at least every Indian should know and get motivated by the story of famous brand, where their families tend to go at the time of get togethers, or for taking a bite on some delicious North Indian cuisines and sweets!
August 18, 2025
The book Bhujia Barons traces the journey of the Haldiram brand and 3 generations of Agarwal clan who turned a local snack of Bikaner to a national product building an empire across four cities - Bikaner, Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi. Today who does not know Haldiram Bhujia, but quite a few know about this resilient journey which started when patriarch Haldiram began making and selling a new snack—bhujia—to locals in Bikaner, Rajasthan, in 1918.
As a Marwari, I have grown up eating Haldiram bhujia since as long as I can remember – be it along with morning parathas, or in school lunch box or with evening tea – bhujia has been an integral part of the diet. So when I came across this book, I had to read it looking for the secret recipe of what made Haldiram bhujia so successful. And I found that - “let your senses guide you” - is that secret mantra of the Haldiram clan. The family’s art of picking and blending just the right flavours, has been passed down the generations. The central focus on consumer taste along with the product quality, packaging, branding, category expansion and geographic expansion has led to Haldiram become one of the most successful homegrown superbrands.
The book also provides a glimpse into the workings of a Marwari business family, and since I come from one, I have seen some of these up and close – deference to elders where all business decisions are largely driven by hierarchy; how Marwaris tend to move to other cities in search for better business opportunities; and how they invite relatives/ acquaintances from their hometown to work with them thus building a strong community around them.
The book is a lighthearted read and provides a good peek into the history of the brand and how it evolved over years, work ethics of promoters, familial disagreements/ disputes, but it leaves you wanting for more. There are hardly any insights into success of the QSR business, foray in international markets, product innovations beyond bhujia, etc. Hoping to read on this success story more sometime!
As a Marwari, I have grown up eating Haldiram bhujia since as long as I can remember – be it along with morning parathas, or in school lunch box or with evening tea – bhujia has been an integral part of the diet. So when I came across this book, I had to read it looking for the secret recipe of what made Haldiram bhujia so successful. And I found that - “let your senses guide you” - is that secret mantra of the Haldiram clan. The family’s art of picking and blending just the right flavours, has been passed down the generations. The central focus on consumer taste along with the product quality, packaging, branding, category expansion and geographic expansion has led to Haldiram become one of the most successful homegrown superbrands.
The book also provides a glimpse into the workings of a Marwari business family, and since I come from one, I have seen some of these up and close – deference to elders where all business decisions are largely driven by hierarchy; how Marwaris tend to move to other cities in search for better business opportunities; and how they invite relatives/ acquaintances from their hometown to work with them thus building a strong community around them.
The book is a lighthearted read and provides a good peek into the history of the brand and how it evolved over years, work ethics of promoters, familial disagreements/ disputes, but it leaves you wanting for more. There are hardly any insights into success of the QSR business, foray in international markets, product innovations beyond bhujia, etc. Hoping to read on this success story more sometime!
April 25, 2021
Who in India has not had Haldiram's bhujia? This book, Bhujia Barons, is an attempt at chronicling the story of Ganga Bhishen Agarwal (aka Haldiram) whose innovation was not just limited to making bhujia; but also an uncanny understanding of the importance of resonance with customers and brand associations. What he had was a keen sense of smell and taste, and the ability to blend just the right mix of spices and marketing skills, which even management students take years to learn.
The book is an inspiring read, but the narrative hinges on hagiography and falls short on facts. There is not enough information on how competition has eaten into Haldiram’s business and the impact on the brand post the USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) labelling it unfit for sale in the US.
This business story is like a television saga, full of drama and interesting subplots one can see in a family-run business.
It is as much a story of pathbreaking products and innovative marketing, as it is about family feuds, long-drawn legal battles, and complex loyalties.
From the dusty streets of Bikaner to Bengal, Nagpur, Delhi and international markets, the Agarwals have continued to fight among themselves to defend their brand. But the bottom line has always been a success.
While the book has plenty of human interest elements, it lacks true insights into what went into building a pan-India food business of this scale.
How did Haldirams build a brand and manage to win shelf space in new markets such as South India, without getting into face-offs with the MNCs? How do the Bhujia Barons maintain such good product quality while dealing with erratic Indian supply chains and unpredictable sales cycles? How did they manage to standardize the quality of ingredients in the fragmented farm markets?
Such insights may have elevated the book from just being a good read on the Haldirams saga, to being an excellent case study on the uniquely Indian way of doing business.
The book is an inspiring read, but the narrative hinges on hagiography and falls short on facts. There is not enough information on how competition has eaten into Haldiram’s business and the impact on the brand post the USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) labelling it unfit for sale in the US.
This business story is like a television saga, full of drama and interesting subplots one can see in a family-run business.
It is as much a story of pathbreaking products and innovative marketing, as it is about family feuds, long-drawn legal battles, and complex loyalties.
From the dusty streets of Bikaner to Bengal, Nagpur, Delhi and international markets, the Agarwals have continued to fight among themselves to defend their brand. But the bottom line has always been a success.
While the book has plenty of human interest elements, it lacks true insights into what went into building a pan-India food business of this scale.
How did Haldirams build a brand and manage to win shelf space in new markets such as South India, without getting into face-offs with the MNCs? How do the Bhujia Barons maintain such good product quality while dealing with erratic Indian supply chains and unpredictable sales cycles? How did they manage to standardize the quality of ingredients in the fragmented farm markets?
Such insights may have elevated the book from just being a good read on the Haldirams saga, to being an excellent case study on the uniquely Indian way of doing business.
September 20, 2024
I’ve been a big fan of Haldiram’s since childhood. Visiting my maternal grandparents in Delhi always meant an exciting trip to Haldiram’s, and the brand has been close to my heart ever since. Even now, I regularly enjoy their Bhujia and mixtures. When I moved to London, Haldiram’s brought me a sense of belonging and a comforting reminder of home.
Naturally, when I came across this book about the brand, I picked it up without a second thought. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. Unlike their Bhujia, this book lacked flavor.
It fell short in several areas:
1. How does the brand maintain its consistent taste and flavor across all outlets?
2. The portrayal of women in business was disappointing—the author seemed to glorify their exclusion from the family business.
3. Blaming the women in the family for separations and rifts was infuriating, and the author clearly didn’t research their roles adequately.
4. Key questions were left unanswered—how did the brand go international, and what challenges did they face? Who initiated selling in superstores?
5. The interviews missed many important points.
6. The writing style was inconsistent, with a lot of unwarranted opinions from the author.
It felt like either the research was rushed or the author simply didn’t capture the essence of this iconic brand. Being Marwari myself, I also found the generalizations about Marwaris unsettling. The book lacks depth and coherence, and while I expected an inspiring read, it didn’t deliver.
That said, there were a few redeeming moments, particularly the insights into the brand’s early struggles and how they innovated with packaging. But overall, given the material at hand, the author could’ve done so much more. Easily skippable.
Naturally, when I came across this book about the brand, I picked it up without a second thought. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. Unlike their Bhujia, this book lacked flavor.
It fell short in several areas:
1. How does the brand maintain its consistent taste and flavor across all outlets?
2. The portrayal of women in business was disappointing—the author seemed to glorify their exclusion from the family business.
3. Blaming the women in the family for separations and rifts was infuriating, and the author clearly didn’t research their roles adequately.
4. Key questions were left unanswered—how did the brand go international, and what challenges did they face? Who initiated selling in superstores?
5. The interviews missed many important points.
6. The writing style was inconsistent, with a lot of unwarranted opinions from the author.
It felt like either the research was rushed or the author simply didn’t capture the essence of this iconic brand. Being Marwari myself, I also found the generalizations about Marwaris unsettling. The book lacks depth and coherence, and while I expected an inspiring read, it didn’t deliver.
That said, there were a few redeeming moments, particularly the insights into the brand’s early struggles and how they innovated with packaging. But overall, given the material at hand, the author could’ve done so much more. Easily skippable.
January 24, 2023
Haldiram's, a family business with five generations having conflicts, struggles to bring changes in production and distribution, fighting their predecessors (along with immense love for their fathers) and cousins (legally). The never thought of struggles faced by the international family business-owning people, their will to prove their mettle.
The legal conflicts with cousins, the fighting with the previous generations to bring the required changes in the business.
*The hiring of professional management*
The karigars and those working for ages for Haldiram's and having direct access to the owners don't feel comfortable with these B-School graduates trying to tell them their ways. The mutual learning of trust and promises that family businesses have with their suppliers and distributors, for the B-Shool graduates, and trying to slowly seep in modern business relationships based on the delivery of efficiency outcomes and reporting by suppliers and distributors if we want the bond to last, with no emotional grounds, but only legal bonds.
Family businesses have this loyal supplier, and distributor base for the trust these suppliers and distributors have of exclusivity in all circumstances. Still, the professional management asks for results otherwise, looking forward to changing the distributor or supplier.
A must-read, especially to understand the development of a family food business!
The legal conflicts with cousins, the fighting with the previous generations to bring the required changes in the business.
*The hiring of professional management*
The karigars and those working for ages for Haldiram's and having direct access to the owners don't feel comfortable with these B-School graduates trying to tell them their ways. The mutual learning of trust and promises that family businesses have with their suppliers and distributors, for the B-Shool graduates, and trying to slowly seep in modern business relationships based on the delivery of efficiency outcomes and reporting by suppliers and distributors if we want the bond to last, with no emotional grounds, but only legal bonds.
Family businesses have this loyal supplier, and distributor base for the trust these suppliers and distributors have of exclusivity in all circumstances. Still, the professional management asks for results otherwise, looking forward to changing the distributor or supplier.
A must-read, especially to understand the development of a family food business!
November 21, 2023
Guess who is India's biggest snack maker with 1.5B$ in revenue & are the worlds largest vegetarian snack makers? It's staggering how a traditional marwari family run business could bloom into such a huge empire with possibly one of the best examples of organic brand building. Nonetheless, its disenchanting to see how big Haldiram's could be had they not been divided between so many lineal descendants.
Some of my key learnings from the Haldiram story were :
1. Be a quality centrist, you won't win without the best product.
2. Continuous innovation is a must to keep the business growing, its important to keep playing at your strengths but at the same time if you don't keep pace with the changing market, you're gonna be kicked out.
3. Be observant and sensitive to what your consumer needs. Haldiram's was among the first to understand and implement packaging, branding and the need to add shelf life to their products due their insight of how snacks are impulse buy, which turned out be their secret sauce.
I found this book to really be lacking depth though, i really wanted to learn about the processes, the challenges, the solutions, the business side of things. The too much time spent on the family drama and other unnecessary controversies to add spice.
Overall, amazing story but poorly written, definitely more research and better depth was. needed.
Some of my key learnings from the Haldiram story were :
1. Be a quality centrist, you won't win without the best product.
2. Continuous innovation is a must to keep the business growing, its important to keep playing at your strengths but at the same time if you don't keep pace with the changing market, you're gonna be kicked out.
3. Be observant and sensitive to what your consumer needs. Haldiram's was among the first to understand and implement packaging, branding and the need to add shelf life to their products due their insight of how snacks are impulse buy, which turned out be their secret sauce.
I found this book to really be lacking depth though, i really wanted to learn about the processes, the challenges, the solutions, the business side of things. The too much time spent on the family drama and other unnecessary controversies to add spice.
Overall, amazing story but poorly written, definitely more research and better depth was. needed.
November 11, 2025
Bhujiya Barons by Pavitra Kumar
Bhujiya Barons by Pavitra Kumar is an engaging and well-researched book that takes readers into the fascinating world of Indian family-run businesses — specifically the famous Haldiram empire. The author tells the story in a very clear and relatable way, making even complex business rivalries and brand journeys easy to follow.
I liked how Pavitra Kumar combined history, business insights, and family drama in one narrative. The book doesn’t just talk about snacks — it talks about ambition, legacy, competition, and the challenges that come when business and family mix.
The writing is crisp, informative, and never dull. It gives readers a peek into how a small-town business became a global name while still keeping its Indian essence alive.
Overall, Bhujiya Barons is a must-read for anyone interested in Indian entrepreneurship, family businesses, or simply the story behind one of India’s most loved snack brands.
The best part of the book was how branding and new technologies help the bhujiya Barons spread their wings overseas. Its not just about establishment of a culinary brand but it helped Indian culture and culinary get popular in the west.
People who want to read something out of the box will love this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bhujiya Barons by Pavitra Kumar is an engaging and well-researched book that takes readers into the fascinating world of Indian family-run businesses — specifically the famous Haldiram empire. The author tells the story in a very clear and relatable way, making even complex business rivalries and brand journeys easy to follow.
I liked how Pavitra Kumar combined history, business insights, and family drama in one narrative. The book doesn’t just talk about snacks — it talks about ambition, legacy, competition, and the challenges that come when business and family mix.
The writing is crisp, informative, and never dull. It gives readers a peek into how a small-town business became a global name while still keeping its Indian essence alive.
Overall, Bhujiya Barons is a must-read for anyone interested in Indian entrepreneurship, family businesses, or simply the story behind one of India’s most loved snack brands.
The best part of the book was how branding and new technologies help the bhujiya Barons spread their wings overseas. Its not just about establishment of a culinary brand but it helped Indian culture and culinary get popular in the west.
People who want to read something out of the box will love this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 9, 2017
The book based on an interesting premise is primarily let down by the writing style of its author. Many of the sections are written like newspaper reports with very little done to infuse emotions or good story telling
The book details out the journey of the Haldiram family who grew from a small family business in by lanes of Bikaner to a multi billion food sector player in India. The reader gets nice insights into the working style of Marwari families which dominate most of the trade in India. Taking on no debts, deference to commands of elders, little to no roles for women and very strict cost control are trademarks of any marwari business even today. The reader also gets an understanding of the controversies surrounding the business including criminal cases and the decade long legal battle over trademark. The book closes with the current state of each business and what is the vision of its current owners
The book is a good coffee table read especially for anyone interested in homegrown brands. You can treat it as a large essay which will take 4-5 sessions of intense reading to complete.
The book details out the journey of the Haldiram family who grew from a small family business in by lanes of Bikaner to a multi billion food sector player in India. The reader gets nice insights into the working style of Marwari families which dominate most of the trade in India. Taking on no debts, deference to commands of elders, little to no roles for women and very strict cost control are trademarks of any marwari business even today. The reader also gets an understanding of the controversies surrounding the business including criminal cases and the decade long legal battle over trademark. The book closes with the current state of each business and what is the vision of its current owners
The book is a good coffee table read especially for anyone interested in homegrown brands. You can treat it as a large essay which will take 4-5 sessions of intense reading to complete.
August 2, 2023
My 9th Book for the year 2023 “Bhujia Barons “by Pavitra Kumar is an extremely interesting and exciting story of the Agarwal family. It begins in dusty, benign Bikaner and traces the rise and rise of this homegrown brand which is one of the most-recognized Indian brands
The story is full of family drama with court cases, jealousy-fueled regional expansion, a decades-old trademark battle, and a closely guarded family secret of the famous bhujia.
Ganga Bhishan Agarwal, aka Haldiram, gained a reputation for making the best bhujia in Bikaner at the age of 12 years.Through this book came to know that Marwari padhai - students Learn tables in decimal 2.5x 3.6 =9. No wonder 5 feet 5 inches potbellied men built an empire ( Bikaner + Delhi + Kolkata + Nagpur ) which has a revenue much greater than that of McDonald’s and Domino’s combined.
Initial success of Haldiram is contributed to quality and customer satisfaction . 3rd generation put their energy towards backward integration, automation , solar powered machines and smart packaging and what not .
This book give a good outline how a family owned businesses are run . It is an inspirational story .
The story is full of family drama with court cases, jealousy-fueled regional expansion, a decades-old trademark battle, and a closely guarded family secret of the famous bhujia.
Ganga Bhishan Agarwal, aka Haldiram, gained a reputation for making the best bhujia in Bikaner at the age of 12 years.Through this book came to know that Marwari padhai - students Learn tables in decimal 2.5x 3.6 =9. No wonder 5 feet 5 inches potbellied men built an empire ( Bikaner + Delhi + Kolkata + Nagpur ) which has a revenue much greater than that of McDonald’s and Domino’s combined.
Initial success of Haldiram is contributed to quality and customer satisfaction . 3rd generation put their energy towards backward integration, automation , solar powered machines and smart packaging and what not .
This book give a good outline how a family owned businesses are run . It is an inspirational story .
January 4, 2021
Haldirams is one of the most trusted and widely known manufacturers of Indian sweets and snacks. It specializes in high quality, ready-to-eat snacks, savories and sweets and offers a wide range of products including namkeens, sweets, sherbets, minute khana, papads, pani puri, bhel puri, chips, boletos, taktak, whoopies and royal temptations. This book deals with story of Haldiram’s growth from a small corner shop in Bikaneer to a Corporate company.
Business talent is always in DNA of marwari community.Haldiram’s, a marwari company which is known for quality food products have stated from a corner shop in Bikaner This book traces history of family owned business of “Haldiram’s” which runs in Bikaner,Kolkatta and Delhi. From a humble beginning in Bikaneer Haldiram took Bhuggia delicacy globally. This book mainly deals with the family story rather than about companies raise to global audience.
Business talent is always in DNA of marwari community.Haldiram’s, a marwari company which is known for quality food products have stated from a corner shop in Bikaner This book traces history of family owned business of “Haldiram’s” which runs in Bikaner,Kolkatta and Delhi. From a humble beginning in Bikaneer Haldiram took Bhuggia delicacy globally. This book mainly deals with the family story rather than about companies raise to global audience.
April 26, 2021
Kudos to Pavitra, who brought the lesser known story of Haldirams to the general public. With very simple and relatable English, Pavitra has relied on face to face interviews with hte family scions and secondary research to build this book from the scratch. It's delightful to read about ones favourite snack makers, especially the legacy of its founder Mr. Haldiram. The author has described in detail about the Marwari way of doing business, humble beginnings in Bikaner, expansion to Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi businesses and journey to become world class brand. With anecdotes about building distinct packaging and consumer study before entering markets, Haldiram story is filled with management lessons before they became mainstream. Dwelling deep into rivalry between Delhi and Kolkata cousins, the book also discusses in details about the court case of Haldiram Trademark going on for nearly 30 years. The book will forever enrich the experience of having bhujia with the backstory described.
May 11, 2020
An excellent narration from the birth of Haldiram in Bikaner (Rajasthan) to the current four independent business houses in Bikaner, Nagpur, Delhi & Kolkata. The entire book carries the strong message of HARD WORK as the main ingredient for SUCCESS. The branding and packaging gave Halidaram the identity to edge past their competitors. Bikaner holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for bhujia was sweet news to me. The strong value system of Marwari’s came to the forefront, though the business obsession has too left bitterness in the family. With infusion of professionals from outside, strong employee performance assessment, SOP and focus on learning, the Delhi unit seems to forging ahead.
A very interesting read, that often reminded me of another sweet business story - Bombay Sweets, Thanjavur.
A very interesting read, that often reminded me of another sweet business story - Bombay Sweets, Thanjavur.
June 5, 2018
Arguably one of the most under-rated and under-researched business families in India, I was always curious to understand how they family made the humble bhujia into such a powerful business/brand. Pavitra Kumar takes us through the roots and the unfortunate geographical segregation within the Haldiram family business.
While the story in itself is interesting (I did think the book cover was especially eye-catching), the writing felt lacking in punch, it just did not rivet me. The researched subjects were limited and shallow, especially for a business account of how the empire was built.
It is an easy and breezy read though. With less written (thus far) about Indian home-grown businesses, I'd recommend this anyway.
While the story in itself is interesting (I did think the book cover was especially eye-catching), the writing felt lacking in punch, it just did not rivet me. The researched subjects were limited and shallow, especially for a business account of how the empire was built.
It is an easy and breezy read though. With less written (thus far) about Indian home-grown businesses, I'd recommend this anyway.
April 18, 2019
Bhujia Barons is the in depth success story of the snack mavens , Haldirams.
The book is well paced in its content. However, the accounts are not crisp or succinct. The writing is very animated and not thoughtfully worded. It highlights key qualities of the businessmen which catalysed their success but these aren't compartmentalized and are fleetingly mentioned between chapters.
The book has Indian household drama and the easy script make its a light and engaging read for beginners.
One can read this to get a dose of scheduled inspiration but this isn't a book to set the wheels of mind in motion
The book is well paced in its content. However, the accounts are not crisp or succinct. The writing is very animated and not thoughtfully worded. It highlights key qualities of the businessmen which catalysed their success but these aren't compartmentalized and are fleetingly mentioned between chapters.
The book has Indian household drama and the easy script make its a light and engaging read for beginners.
One can read this to get a dose of scheduled inspiration but this isn't a book to set the wheels of mind in motion
December 30, 2017
Nice research behind the history and growth of the famous food brand "Haldirams" of India...starts right from the humble origins through a small shop in the bylanes of Rajasthan and goes up to the current state where Haldiram as a brand is operated by three brothers (real and cousin both) separately across Delhi, Kolkata and Nagpur...covers the personal journey of founders and their successors..how they expanded the business...inter family conflicts and how they handled the business environment in India...Nice read to understand the family businesses in India
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