Shiv Ratan Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of Bikaji Foods International, passed away on Thursday in Chennai after suffering a heart attack at the age of 74. He had travelled to the city with his family for his wife's medical treatment.

According to sources, Agarwal's wife had recently undergone a heart bypass surgery and had been advised to rest.

The family was staying at a hotel in Chennai during her recovery. At around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Agarwal reportedly began feeling unwell. As his condition deteriorated, he was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Agarwal founded the Bikaji brand in Bikaner, transforming a modest venture into one of India's leading packaged snack companies.

The company traces its roots to 'Shivdeep Foods Products', named after his son Deepak Agarwal, which later evolved into the Bikaji brand. Following a division in the family business associated with Haldiram's, Agarwal chose to chart his own path.

He moved to Bikaner and started a bhujia manufacturing business under Shivdeep Foods Products, laying the foundation for what would become a major player in India's snack industry. In 1993, the company was rebranded as 'Bikaji' -- a name inspired by Rao Bika, the founder of Bikaner -- giving the brand a distinct regional identity with global appeal. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed his condolences on Agarwal's demise.

In his social media post on X, Gehlot said, "The news of the sudden passing of the country's renowned industrialist and Chief Managing Director of Bikaji, Shiv Ratan Agarwal, is deeply saddening. The demise of Shiv Ratan Agarwal, who brought fame to Bikaner's Bhujia both within the country and abroad through the Bikaji brand, is an irreparable loss. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed soul and to bestow upon the bereaved family the strength to bear this grief. Om Shanti."

Source: NDTV