Best Advice: 'Focus on goals, not the obstacles in the way,' says Bikanervala Foods' boss

What was the problem you were grappling with?

As a second-generation entrepreneur, I received a tonne of support when I joined the family business, but I also had the enormous responsibility of continuing my father’s legacy. There were many difficulties, one of which was getting consumers to accept packaged sweets.

Whom did you approach for advice and why?

Thanks to a formidable business lineage, leadership and entrepreneurship came naturally to me. But still, I sought the guidance of my father and uncles, which helped me address the gaps in product offerings and navigate through turbulent waters seamlessly when the company was going global.

What was the advice you received?

In the words of my father, “The customer is God and it takes a lot of hard work to comprehend their demands”. There are times when you need a “Eureka!” moment to do something that hasn’t been done in centuries. He suggested I use cutting-edge methods of packaging to guarantee the highest product quality at the lowest possible prices to my customers. Taking this advice to heart, we launched our campaign with an emphasis on brand recognition, product sampling and customer verification of quality.

How effective was it in resolving the problem?

In 1988, we made a conscious decision to expand internationally and as a result, the Bikano brand was born to market our packaged namkeens and sweets all over the world. I was able to achieve my goals with the help of the wise counsel of my elders and the diligent efforts of a relatively modest team. With the debut of Bikano, we began packaging our items, and from that point on, there was no turning back, as I focussed on the goal and not the obstacles in the way. What started as a modest sweets and savouries shop at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi over 70 years ago has grown into one of the top packaged food companies in India.