THINK!

Haldiram’s today is India’s leading Mithais (sweet meat) and Namkeens (salty snacks) brand, spreading it’s network on all continents. From a humble beginning in Bikaner in 1937, Haldiram’s has grown into a household name in India. Ganga Bishan Agarwal (popularly known as Haldiram), opened a sweets shop in Bikaner, a small district in Rajasthan, India. In 1941, the name ‘Haldiram’s Bhujiawala’ was used for the first time. Ganga Bishan’s son, Rameshwar Lal Agarwal and grandson, Prabhu Shankar Agarwal, expanded the business by establishing a small manufacturing unit in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1950.

The demand for Haldiram’s products was increasing. The Agarwals decided to set up a large manufacturing facility in Nagpur, Maharashtra in 1970. By 1983, they were ready to open a major retail outlet in New Delhi. During the 1980s and 1990s, Haldiram’s grew at a significant pace. A restaurant was opened in 1995 in Delhi and in 1997, a manufacturing unit for ‘Namkeens’ was also established. By the beginning of the 21st century, Haldiram’s were exporting their products to Australia, Europe, Far East, Japan, Middle East and North America. It is truly a Global Brand with sizable customer loyalty. A C Nielson ranked Haldiram’s as the 98th most trusted brand in India. The company has sales of upward of $100 million (Rupees 400 crore).

‘Brand India’ is a concept still confined to India. It was Ardeshir Godrej who established the first formal brand in India. He set up the manufacturing unit for high security locks in Bombay and the production started on May 7, 1897. The locks were sold under ‘Godrej’ brand but the export of these locks was banned by the British.

Filed under: Corporate India Tagged: | A C Nielson, Ardeshir Godrej, Bikaner, Brand India, Calcutta (Kolkata), Ganga Bishan Agarwal, Global Brand, Godrej, Haldiram's, Haldiram's Bhujiawala, India, Mithais, Namkeens, Prabhu Shankar Agarwal, Rajasthan, Rameshwar Lal Agarwal, Sweet-Meat