Gave Bikaji showrooms for free to friends:Shivratan Agarwal defied doubts; improved packaging to take bhujia worldwide

Sivratan Agarwal, CMD of Bikaji Foods International, passed away at 74 after a heart attack in Chennai on Thursday morning. Known as ‘Phanna Babu’ in Bikaner, he was widely seen as a jovial and generous personality who often let friends run his showrooms without conditions. When he launched the Bikaji brand independently from his brothers, many had doubted him—questioning how such a large factory would sell bhujia. He went on to transform production by introducing machines and improving packaging shelf life, helping the brand expand into international markets. Following his demise, production and supply have been temporarily halted at the factories in Bikaner’s Karani and Bichhwal industrial areas. The Karani plant has a daily production capacity of around 800 tonnes, including over 150 tonnes of bhujia, along with sweets, chips, papad and bakery products. Read the story of Bikaji’s CMD Shivratna Agarwal… Famous by the name ‘Phanna Babu’ Shivratna Agarwal’s friend Ramkumar Purohit says – If you ask anyone in the walled city of Bikaner who Shivratan Agarwal is, perhaps some people may not know, but as soon as you ask who Phanna Babu is, they will tell you his entire history. Shivratan, who studied till eighth grade, along with his fun-loving nature, also thought very far ahead. Whether it was having fun with friends during Holi or having gatherings in the city, he was always at the forefront of everything. Bikaji was created in 1993 Ramkumar Purohit explains – Shivratan Agarwal started his company separately from his three brothers in 1986. Shivkisan Agarwal, Manohar Lal Agarwal and Madhu Agarwal established the bhujia brand under the name Haldiram. Meanwhile, Shivratan named it ‘Shivdeep Foods Industries Limited’. In 1993, its name was changed to ‘Bikaji’, which is named after Rao Bika, the founder of Bikaner city. Took brand to the country and abroad with strong determination Friend Ramkumar says – When Shivratan set up his separate factory, people told him – ‘Where will you sell bhujia by setting up such a big factory, Babu?’ But his intentions were strong. Today there is demand for Bikaji bhujia all over the world. At that time bhujia was made by hand, but he started using machines. For this, he went to foreign countries and established India’s first automated bhujia factory. By emphasizing modern packaging, he increased the shelf life of the product, which enabled Bikaji’s products to reach the country and abroad. Gave showrooms without conditions Shivratan was capable of running Bikaji’s showrooms in Bikaner on his own, but he gave this opportunity to friends. He did not impose conditions for giving showrooms in Bikaner’s Natthusar Gate, Jassusar Gate, Jaipur Road, Jai Narayan Vyas Colony and even in Sri Ganganagar. He gave these showrooms to his friends and acquaintances without any formality. Amitabh Bachchan brand ambassador Today, Bikaji Foods International manufactures over 250 products. To popularize the brand across the country, Amitabh Bachchan was also made the brand ambassador. In the year 2024, Shivratan Agarwal was included in Forbes’ World Billionaires list. He was among the top-25 Indians in this list. He was ranked 14th in the list. Namkeen reaching America, Russia, Australia and UAE Bikaji Foods is now reaching over 30 countries. First, in the year 1994, Bikaji Bhujia started being exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 1996, Bikaji started exports to Australia. Demand from other countries also started coming in continuously. Even today, Bikaneri Bhujia is most preferred in Gulf countries. Apart from this, it is also reaching America, Germany, Spain, France, Russia, Nepal, New Zealand, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Norway. 8 lakh shopkeepers are selling Bikaji Bhujia Today, around eight lakh shopkeepers are selling Bikaji Bhujia. The number of Bikaji outlets is continuously increasing. The design of these outlets is done by Bikaji Group itself. Across the country, there are not just one or two but numerous outlets in many major cities including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad. Their number is highest in New Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. Bikaji outlets are also present at several international airports including Hyderabad.