Where Legacy Meets Global Appetite, inside Bhikharam Chandmal’s 150-year old journey

With roots tracing back nearly 170 years, Bhikharam Chandmal is more than a namkeen brand—it is a cornerstone of India’s traditional snacking heritage. From pioneering Bikaneri Bhujia to shaping generations of authentic Indian snacks and sweets, the brand has stood the test of time by staying true to real ingredients, deep agricultural understanding, and uncompromising taste.

In this conversation with IBT, Ashish Agarwal, Chairman Bhikharam Chandmal, who leads the legacy into its next phase of global growth, shares how tradition and innovation coexist at Bhikharam Chandmal, why Indian snacks are poised for worldwide success, and how platforms like Indusfood are helping position India as a true global food powerhouse. As Chair of TPCI’s West Zone Regional Committee for Snack Processing, he also discusses how the industry at large can raise its profile and global presence.

IBT: Bhikharam Chandmal is one of India’s most iconic Namkeen houses. So what does it mean for a century old brand to represent India at a global platform like Indusfood?

Ashish Agarwal: Bhikharam Chandmal’s story goes back far beyond a century—nearly 150–170 years—when Bhikharamji transformed traditional family-made bhujiya into a commercial pursuit. That small ambition laid the foundation for a global power brand from India’s namkeen industry.

This deep-rooted understanding of raw materials, processes, and people gives us a natural edge in the snack industry. Having evolved from a small household operation to a leading namkeen and sweets brand, our journey reflects both continuity and scale. I take immense pride in being part of this legacy and in leading the brand into the 21st century.

For legacy brands, history is both a strength and a challenge. While tradition gives you credibility, evolving mindsets is essential. Our association with Indusfood has played a vital role in that evolution—encouraging us to keep improving, adapting, and thinking beyond our own growth, towards contributing to India’s food ecosystem at large.

Indusfood offers a unique window to the world while being rooted in India. Over the past several years, it has reinforced my belief that India is truly a global food powerhouse—capable of producing what the world eats and aspires to eat. Bhikharam Chandmal aims to stay at the forefront of this journey, continuously evolving while proudly representing India on the global stage.

IBT: So your products carry a legacy, as you said, of over 150 years. But how do you ensure this consistency, authenticity and quality at scale, while expanding into modern retail and international markets?

Ashish Agarwal: Being a legacy brand gives us the advantage of generations working together, where knowledge is passed on through practice, not classrooms. In food, especially snacks and sweets, everything begins with agri value addition—understanding raw materials, crop cycles, seasonality, and origin. That depth of understanding is critical to delivering consistency and authenticity at scale.

For us, quality starts at the source. If a product’s colour and flavour come from chilli, then that chilli must come from the right origin—because ingredients from different regions behave differently. This clarity comes from decades of experimentation. Legacy, for us, is accumulated learning, and it keeps our appetite for testing, listening to farmers, and refining processes very high.

There’s also a belief we strongly relate to—often attributed to Steve Jobs: create what you genuinely believe in, present it honestly to the world, and like-minded customers will follow. We apply the same thinking to food. We don’t chase trends. A product must first earn respect within our own family. If we don’t love its taste or can’t do justice to it, we don’t launch it.

You can’t control what nature produces, but you can understand it and use it wisely. As we expand into modern retail and international markets, this philosophy guides everything—from vendor selection to sourcing and quality checks—helping us maintain taste, authenticity, and consistency, no matter how large we grow.

IBT: Indusfood attracts buyers from 100 plus countries. Which markets are you excited about most this year? Where do you see the strongest demand for traditional Indian snacks?

Ashish Agarwal: Over the past 10–15 years, Indian food has gained strong global recognition. Food, in many ways, is what truly connects people across borders. Wherever you travel, a shared appreciation for food opens conversations and builds familiarity—and Indian food does that exceptionally well.

India’s diversity is a natural advantage. With multiple climatic zones and a rich agricultural base, we offer an unmatched range of flavours and snack traditions to the world. As Indian snacks enter the global mainstream, we are learning local preferences while retaining the soul of the Indian palate. The approach is simple: stay authentic, but adapt thoughtfully to regional tastes.

Indian snack categories are already well established in markets such as the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the GCC. This year, I’m particularly excited about deeper engagement with CIS countries, where Indian food enjoys strong cultural acceptance and goodwill, and where we see significant untapped business potential.

Another region I’m keenly watching is Latin America. The climatic similarities, agricultural practices, and familiarity with bold flavours make it a natural fit for Indian snacks. With more interaction and sampling, I believe these markets will respond very positively.

Indusfood provides a powerful platform to connect with buyers from every corner of the world—allowing them to experience Indian snacks firsthand. While we welcome interest from all markets, these regions represent exciting growth opportunities for us this year.

IBT: What unique strengths or capabilities do you believe set your brand apart for international buyers exploring Indian namkeen?

Ashish Agarwal: What truly sets Bhikharam Chandmal apart is the era we come from. The name itself belongs to a time very different from today—a reminder of how far back our roots go and how deep our legacy runs.

Our journey began in an age when food was made without substitutes or shortcuts. Snacks and sweets were crafted directly from agricultural produce, whole pulses, and real spices, and that philosophy continues to guide us even now. Over the years, Bhikharam Chandmal has also been the foundation from which several iconic namkeen brands have emerged, reflecting the strength of our knowledge and processes.

In a market increasingly driven by replacements and flavour enhancers, our differentiation lies in staying true to real ingredients and traditional methods. As consumers become more informed and ingredient-conscious, this authenticity resonates strongly.

When people engage with our story and our products, they recognise that honesty immediately. That trust—built over generations—is what keeps Bhikharam Chandmal distinct, relevant, and firmly positioned as a power brand in Indian namkeens.

IBT: How do you see these evolving trends in the market of, you know, some specific niches – we’re talking about health oriented snacking, or, you know, vegan or organic things like that?

Ashish Agarwal: What’s interesting is that many of today’s “new” trends already exist in traditional Indian snacks and sweets. Take Bikaneri Bhujia and Kaju Katli—two of our flagship products. Both are naturally vegan, and bhujia is also gluten-free. Long before certifications became fashionable, our forefathers designed products around local agricultural produce, using simple, honest ingredients.

Of course, these were always indulgent foods—snacks and sweets are meant to bring joy and great taste. But they were created thoughtfully, with an inherent understanding of ingredients and balance. In that sense, Indian traditions were already aligned with what the world now calls clean-label or plant-based.

Going forward, we are actively experimenting—adding more protein to ethnic snacks and sweets, exploring new textures and formats, and adapting flavours while staying rooted in tradition. You’ll see some of these innovations very soon.

We come from a genre that has survived for over 150 years, so evolution is part of our DNA. Today, we’re also working with cheese, smoky profiles, native spices, and bold flavour combinations. One more thing I’ll tell you – hot and spicy is the trend of the season. And who knows hot and spicy things more than Indians do.

IBT: With Indian regional snacks gaining worldwide recognition, how do you view the role of legacy brands like yours in shaping India’s global F&B identity?

Ashish Agarwal: If Indian traditional snacks are to succeed globally, the focus must go beyond individual brands to the categories and their origins. While Bhikharam Chandmal represents a brand, I would like to see much stronger global recognition for Bikaneri Bhujia as a GI product. When government and semi-government bodies actively highlight GI tags, and brands from those regions reinforce that narrative, it creates a powerful, collaborative impact.

As an industry, we also need to understand our ingredients better and speak about them with confidence. We operate in the indulgence space—we don’t make exaggerated promises. We deliver taste, joy, and tradition. That said, many Indian snacks and sweets are inherently capable of delivering health benefits when understood and evolved responsibly, and this is an area with strong future potential.

Indian snacks and sweets add unmatched diversity to global snacking, which today is often limited and repetitive. Any market seeking real variety in its snack or dessert portfolio cannot ignore Indian offerings. They are flavour-rich, indulgent, and uniquely positioned to evolve with changing consumer expectations.

My role goes beyond building Bhikharam Chandmal as a brand—it is about contributing to the growth and credibility of Indian traditional snacks as a world-class category, firmly established on the global food map.