Here’s How Bikanervala, A Small Shop in Bikaner Became A Million-Dollar Company

Going from rags to riches feels like a fairy tale come true but for some, it is a reality. We’ve heard about several people across the world who started with nothing but they became so successful in their endeavors that their names got featured in several rich lists. The Bikanervala family is one of those inspiring success stories.

Work started from ground zero can definitely become a successful business in the future. An example is the Bikanervala family. Bikanervala, a big brand name that we all know,  used to be a small shop in Bikaner. Let’s know about the inspiring success story of Bikanervala which started as a small street shop just to become one of the best snack companies in the country.

Who started Bikanervala?

Bikanervala, a name synonymous with sweets and snacks company, carries a legacy that dates back to the pre-independence era. Businesses after the partition found themselves in an ambiguous position in a newly independent India, challenged with a new set of rules and regulations. Bikanervala’s operations started out in the beginnings of 1905 by Shri Lal Chand Agarwal. It started out as a small local sweet shop by the name Bikaner Namkeen Bhandar in Bikaner’s old city area of Kote Gate, Rajasthan.

Bikanervala is an Indian restaurant chain headquartered in Delhi, that specializes in Indian sweets, and snacks. According to the Bikanervala website, its humble beginnings trace back to 1905 from a small sweet shop – Bikaner Namkeen Bhandar in Bikaner. The shop initially sold a few sweets and namkeen tuned to the tastes of the Bikaneris. There it found acceptance and the shop prospered.

Their outlets and recipes gathered the attention

After growing and establishing a reputation for themselves in Bikaner, two brothers from their family set out in 1950 to make history in the Bikaner Namkeen Bhandar’s timeline.

A store named Bikaner Bhujia Bhandar was opened by them in Paranthe Wali Gali in Delhi

Keeping in mind the family traditions passed down from generation to generation, they created a culinary experience that the capital had never seen before.

They became popular very quickly amongst the locals of Delhi for their juicy and tempting Moong Dal Halwa, Bikaneri Bhujia, and Kaju Katli. People in Delhi started referring to the brothers and their shop as Bikanervala. That is how the name Bikanervala made its way.

The popularity of the shop sky-rocketed with time as a result of a name provided by the people. They had to open new shops and outlets to meet the growing demand. During which Bikanervala evolved from a sweet shop to a business where you could also get fresh hot vegetarian meals.

The outstanding journey of Bikaner Namkeen Bhandar to Bikanervala

In the 1960s, they increased their product line by including a variety of traditional sweets and namkeens. They started opening several shops with the name Bikanervala in prominent parts of Delhi including Karol Bagh.

Shyam Sundar Aggarwal, the present Managing Director of Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd, joined the family business in 1968. He was a 16-year-old kid who had just finished high school back then. He learned the art of making sweets from his father. In the 1980s, when western fast-food Pizza entered the Indian market, Aggarwal realized that there was scope to explore more Indian products. Hence Bikanervala opened several outlets in several parts of the country.

Bikanervala’s victory

Bikanervala did taste success and glory in its sweets and restaurant business. With globalization, the international market has become easier to enter. The family-run enterprise decided to bring traditional Indian delicacies to the Indians who settled abroad. In the process of which they also transformed the industry and themselves. This has led to the creation of the brand – Bikano.

They hit another milestone when they entered into an agreement with PepsiCo for their new brand “Leher” to sell Indian Namkeens. For this, they had to open a new plant in Faridabad, Haryana. Bikanervala has reached great heights due to its incredible business skills and consistency.

Today, Bikanervala serves millions of consumers with a diverse range of food products. With more than 60 outlets in India & outlets in countries like the USA, New Zealand, Singapore, Nepal, and the UAE we can definitely say that this is what an awe-inspiring success story looks like.