“Gujarati cuisine is one of the most balanced diets in India, with the perfect mix of sweet, sour, and spicy.” – Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
Whenever we talk about delicious food, Gujarati dishes are the first that come to mind. Gujarat has so many traditional cuisines that you can try different dishes from morning to evening for a whole week, and still, they won’t finish. Each dish is so tasty that people end up licking their fingers.
Now, when Gujarat has so many dishes, why don’t local entrepreneurs grow in this field? This is why companies like Amul, Wagh Bakri Tea, Vadilal, and Rasna have made their names not just in Gujarat but across India. Today, through Gujpreneur, we are going to tell you about these Gujarati entrepreneurs and the top Food & Beverages Companies in Gujarat.
Dairy & Milk Products
Among all food and beverage products consumed daily in India, milk products are the most popular. Whether it is milk or milk-based items like curd, lassi, buttermilk, etc., if you take fresh milk, it’s fine, but when it comes to packaged milk, everyone knows Amul milk. You can get it at almost every grocery store.
AMUL
“The one thing that I have never had a complaint about is the amount of love and respect which my dairy farmers showered upon me.” – Dr. Verghese Kurien
Many of you may not know, but Amul is a short form of Anand Milk Union Limited. Its headquarters is in Anand, Gujarat. Amul doesn’t just make milk; it has many other products present in almost every Indian household, like:
- Chocolates
- Butter
- Cheese
- Cream
- Ghee
- Paneer
- Yogurt
From this, you can guess how big the Amul brand is and why it is famous across India. Other famous milk product companies include Vadilal Dairy, Gopal Dairy, and Sahajanand Dairy.
Ice Cream & Frozen Food Items
When talking about milk products, one thing people love a lot is ice cream. Now, special ice cream stores have started opening, and all this is possible because of Gujarati entrepreneurs. Two names that are famous across India are Havmor and Vadilal.
Havmor ice creams have many flavors. Their ice cream stores are open in India and abroad. Along with ice cream, people also like their Gulab Jamun and Thandai. Vadilal is also famous for its sweets.
Beverages & Soft Drinks
Now let’s talk about soft drinks. Milk is a necessity, but for taste, soft drinks also matter a lot. Just like the USA has brands like Cola and Pepsi, India has the world-famous Rasna. It is not harmful and also affordable.
Rasna
As Rasna’s current chairman said:
“Rasna has always been about making quality beverages affordable for every Indian household.” – Piruz Khambatta
When it comes to soft drinks, the first name that comes to mind from Gujarat is Rasna. In fact, we can call it the biggest soft drink company in India. The main reason is Rasna’s variety of flavors and variants.
Some of Rasna’s famous flavors are:
- Mango
- Orange
- Litchi
- Guava
Along with this, Rasna also has many variants, such as:
- Rasna Ready to Mix Drink
- Rasna Honey
- Rasna Peanut Butter
- Rasna Soft Drink
- Rasna Health Drink
- Rasna Chyawanprash
This is why Rasna has remained one of India’s top soft drink companies for decades. Other Gujarati entrepreneurs have also established big brands and companies in beverages, like Wardwizard Foods & Beverages Ltd and Ban Labs Ltd., etc.
Snacks & Namkeen
Now we come to snacks or the ready-to-eat industry. In Gujarati food, some of the most famous snacks are Khakhra, Fafda, etc. Gujarati entrepreneurs, keeping the taste of the country in mind, have set up outstanding companies in this field.
Balaji Wafers
Many snack companies from Gujarat are famous, but the first name that comes up is Balaji Wafers. The reason is the wide variety of snacks they offer. They not only popularized traditional Gujarati snacks like Khakhra and Fafda across India, but they also launched many other namkeen items from time to time.
Here are some selected products from Balaji Wafers:
- Crunchem
- Dum Bar
- Mung Dal
- Healthy Bites Khakhra
- Gippi Masala Noodles
- Chataka Pataka
- Banana Wafers
- Rumbles
- Farali Chevdo
- Sev Murmura, etc.
This list represents only 20–30% of their products. Now imagine, with so many varieties, it’s clear why the company is so popular. Additionally, each variety has different spice mixtures, which creates even more unique flavors.
Some of the other top names are:
You must have tasted some product from these companies. Many households even keep their products at home. Balaji is the biggest company, while Shreeji and Manpasand have also grown rapidly in recent years.
Conclusion
No matter where you go to buy snacks, you will find products from these companies, whether it’s a local grocery store or a mega store. This is why Gujarati food and beverage companies have made their name not just in Gujarat but across India.
Some companies are so famous internationally that people abroad cannot live without their products or have become addicted to them. This is one identity of Gujarat – it makes everyone fall in love with its food.
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