The founder and promoter of Bikaji Foods International, Shiv Ratan Agarwal, is no more.
The industrialist passed away at the age of 75 on Thursday.
Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of Bikaji Foods International, breathed his last in Chennai after suffering a heart attack.
He was in Chennai along with his family for the medical treatment of his wife.
The company said in a regulatory filing that Agarwal served as a guiding force of the ethnic snacks and sweets brand since its inception. He was instrumental in shaping the brand ‘Bikaji’, whose current ambassador is Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan.
“He has been pivotal in steering the company towards success and growth, who transformed the traditional Bikaneri snacks business into the internationally recognised Bikaji brand by combining authentic taste with modern business practices,” the regulatory filing said.
Agarwal had laid the foundation of the Bikaji brand in Bikaner, Rajasthan. Over the decades, he transformed a modest sweets and snacks venture into one of India’s leading brands.
The company had started with the name ‘Shivdeep Foods Products’, and later evolved into the Bikaji brand.
The rebranding happened in 1993, and the new name ‘Bikaji’ was inspired by Rao Bika, the founder of Bikaner.
Agarwal successfully managed to associate the brand with a distinct regional identity while also ensuring its global appeal.
