Haldiram’s is a household name in India, manufacturing a broad range of products ranging from curries and snacks to confectionery and desserts. The business was established by Ganga Bishan Agarwal back in 1937 and has since expanded across India and around the world, still under the ownership of the Agarwal family.
The firm opened its first facility outside of India in 2018 when production began at its current UK site in Southall, west London. The 16,000 square foot factory – which is staffed by up to 50 people – was purchased to manufacture dairy-based confectionery because of restrictions placed on the import of dairy products to the UK and EU from India.
Approximately 10 different SKUs are manufactured in Southall, including popular sweet snacks such as Gulab Jamun, Milk Burfi and Sweet Delight, all of which are sold by a wide variety of retailers throughout the UK. All the milk used during the manufacturing process is sourced from the same local farm, a fact that the team said is essential for ensuring every product is made to the same standard as those sold in India.
Director of operations Wilber Fernandes has headed up the manufacturing side of the UK operation, named Haldiram Overseas Ltd, since it launched in 2018, while Rhea Agarwal took up her role on the commercial side in September 2024.
Agarwal has worked for the business in several different guises since 2020, balancing her responsibilities with an undergraduate degree at King’s College London and then a master’s at UCL. Upon finishing at UCL, she was appointed as director of business development for the UK and EU, tasked with overseeing the firm’s expansion.
On the day of Food Manufacture’s visit, Fernandes took us on a tour of the production floor where a batch of Gulab Jamun, a sweet dumpling product sold in tins, was being manufactured. He explained that the firm owned a facility of the same size next door and after renting it out for several years, was planning on moving in over the coming months in order to boost capacity in response to growing demand.
We were then shown upstairs and given the chance to speak with Agarwal, who discussed the firm’s expansion plans in more detail.
Learning the ropes
“I started with the business during Covid on a part-time basis when I had some time away from university and my family could not travel from India,” Agarwal told Food Manufacture.
“The team was very small, so I was just pitching in wherever I could to help out. This experience proved really valuable, because when I started full-time last year I knew so much about the suppliers and distributors that we work with.”
Growing up, Agarwal was always very passionate about food and spent hours in the kitchen experimenting with dishes and then serving the family.
“I really enjoyed that appreciation you get when you serve someone a delicious meal, whether that be at home or as part of the charity events our family runs in India,” she explained.
While Agarwal always had a love of food, it wasn’t necessarily in her plans to join the family business. However, after getting involved during Covid she quickly decided it was where she wanted to start her career.
“The business in India runs on such a different scale to the UK operation, so it was great to be able to learn in these circumstances,” Agarwal said.
“I also wanted to do something that would make a difference and I feel I can really make a direct impact with Haldiram Overseas.”
Expansion plans
When Agarwal started last September, the firm had already been on a strong growth trajectory and expansion was a topic of discussion. Not only does the UK facility manufacture a range of products on-site, but it also used to warehouse and then distribute savoury products that have been imported from India.
These imported items are both sold in the UK through retail and exported to the EU, as well as the USA and Australia.
“Diwali and Christmas are very busy times of the year when demand for our confectionery is really high, but we also want to diversify to ensure that we are providing for our customers throughout the year,” Agarwal said.
“As part of our expansion plans we have conducted plenty of R&D work, with paneer a product that we have noticed a real increase in demand for. By moving into the unit next door as well, we will have space to start paneer production, while also investing in new product development to bolster our existing confectionery range.”
Haldiram Overseas expects the second site to be operational by June this year, with the next few months set aside for getting it up and running. At this stage, the teams plans to use the site to boost production of existing SKUs in addition to adding a paneer SKU too.
“We are going to remain focused on dairy-based products as this what the UK operation was established for,” Agarwal explained.
“However, we will continue to assess the demand for savoury dairy products like paneer and continue to invest in R&D.”
The site will also serve as a test kitchen for the first Haldiram’s restaurant in the UK, which the firm hopes will open by the end of this year. Haldiram’s operates a number of restaurants in India, in addition a recently opened location in Dubai.
“We are still in the process of finding the perfect location for the restaurant, but it will definitely be in central London,” Agarwal said.
“The restaurants in India and Dubai offer a snapshot of everything we have to offer, with a section for gifting and a large seating area where we will be serving street food style dishes. The concept doesn’t really exist in the UK so we think it can be really unique.”
Stepping up
When Agarwal started with Haldiram’s, it meant that five different generations of her family had worked for the company. Looking back she is proud of the firm’s legacy, but also has a keen eye on the future.
“My vision for the UK business is for Haldiram’s to be the go-to brand for any Indian food products,” she said
“Indian food is very popular in the UK, so educating consumers is not really necessary. Instead, we want to emphasise our authentic flavours and longstanding heritage which sets us apart from other brands and makes us unique – one brand for everything Indian.”
While Agarwal has a strong understanding of the company’s history and traditions, she also brings a perspective that is highly sought after in the food industry – that of someone from Gen Z.
“I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to the business which can be melded with the old ways of doing things,” she explained.
“I want us to be able to react to trends that are growing on social media and to changing habits that are particularly prevalent with younger people, which includes taste and appearance. This is a balance of course, but understanding Gen Z is definitely important because Haldiram’s is already very well-known among older consumers.”
To support with this the firm has hired marketing executive Devanshi Mehta, who is working closely with Agarwal to ensure that Haldiram’s is able to tap into online trends and appeal to more consumers than ever before. Mehta also studied at UCL and has spearheaded the focus on user-generated content to drive engagement.
“Our premium Khaas range is one example of trend-driven NPD,” Agarwal continued.
“It comes in a luxury packaging that draws in consumers and has been a valuable addition to our gifting collection.”
In her role for more than six months now, it is clear that Agarwal has plenty of ideas and a passion for taking it in a new and exciting direction. She admitted that the role has been full-on so far, but this has not dampened her desire to lead Haldiram Overseas into this next chapter.
“I joined the business when I was very young, but I don’t think about my age or gender when I’m doing the job,” she said.
“I don’t worry about walking into a meeting with older men – I am going to do what I have to do!”
