New Delhi: Many accomplished entrepreneurs have defied the odds by achieving success despite not completing high school. Their lack of formal education didn’t hinder them from building thriving business empires.

Some of these individuals even ventured away from their family businesses to forge their own paths and establish unique identities. One shining example is Shiv Ratan Agarwal, the visionary behind Bikaji Foods International, renowned for its delicious range of Indian snacks and sweets. (Also Read: ‘Not Happy, Do Not Come To Work’: Chinese Company Introduces ‘Unhappy Leave’ For Employees)

Who is Shivratan Agarwal?

Shivratan Agarwal is the founder and director of Bikaji Foods, a prominent Indian company known for its wide variety of sweets and snacks nationwide. Despite facing tough competition in the market, Bikaji Foods stands out as a leader in its field. Shivratan Agarwal revolutionized the industry by introducing cutting-edge technology for producing bhujias in India. Today, at 72 years old, he oversees Bikaji Foods, a company valued at Rs 13,430 crore. (Also Read: Zerodha Co-Founder Nikhil Kamath Launches Non-Dilutive Grant Fund ‘WTFund’ For Young Entrepreneurs)

Early life and Education

Shivratan Agarwal is the grandson of Gangabhisan ‘Haldiram’ Bhujiawala, who was renowned for his business under the name ‘Haldiram’. Shivratan’s father, Moolchand, was also involved in the bhujia-making business. From a young age, Shivratan showed a strong interest in snack-making and learned the art of making bhujia from his grandfather. He completed his education up to class 8 and then joined his family’s business.

Origin of Bikaneri Bhujia

In the late 1980s, Shivratan Agarwal made a bold decision to pursue his passion and establish himself in the snack-making industry. He dreamt of sharing the authentic flavors of Indian culture with the world. Consequently, in 1987, he launched his Bikaneri Bhujia business. Later, in 1993, he rebranded the bhujia business under the name Bikaji brand. The name Bikaji originates from Bika Rao, the founder of Bikaner city in Rajasthan.

Faced several hurdles

The journey of Bikaji’s founder was far from easy. Shivratan faced numerous challenges in introducing the bhujia brand to the market. Despite the lack of technology for large-scale production of bhujia, Agarwal persevered and laid the foundation for his dream business. He started manufacturing bhujia using machines and even traveled abroad to learn how to utilize machinery for snack production.

Bikaji Foods went public in November 2022, with its IPO price seeing an 8% increase upon listing. Agarwal was recently included in Forbes’ ‘World’s Billionaires list for 2024. As per the magazine’s report, his current net worth is Rs 10,830 crore as of April 11.