Unpretentious, Level-headed and Industrious
Manish Aggarwal, director of the famous Indian food brand, Bikano, thinks that to live as a human is experimental in itself. As a senior functionary in one of the most-loved food brands in the country, he has had the pleasure and honor of taking India’s special culinary legacy and heritage to the largest numbers possible within the country and outside. The idea behind Bikano was to showcase the best of traditional Indian snacks and food, including sweets, namkeens, savories, and beverages, to epicures.
With time, and under Manish’s directorship, Bikano has made several adaptations in their offerings with products that cater to the palate as well as the need of the new-age patrons. For instance, the ready-to-eat category was created to address the problem of people’s increasingly shrinking time to enjoy a meal. Today, Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd. has manufacturing facilities spread over 3,00,000 square feet.
It isn’t news that food manufacturing is inherently a challenging proposition every step of the way. Given that anything put out on the market will be ingested, there is no room for any error whatsoever. With the snowballing popularity of Bikano’s products, Manish had to scale up the production capacity and output. There were challenges galore. These were not merely limited to maintaining the highest hygiene and quality standards during preparation and manufacturing processes, which has always been a non-negotiable area for the brand. There was also a challenge in ensuring safe packaging and the delivery of several products, which have a very limited shelf life. By taking recourse to technology for preparation, packaging & delivery, streamlining of their supply & distribution chains, and above all, employing good talent for the job & building a great team were Manish’s ways to overcome those challenges.
Manish finds it difficult to spell out his own strengths but trusts his ability to enjoy his work by doubly committing to everything in hand the most. He tends to set weekly goals as opposed to daily goals, which allows him the flexibility of time in his operations and work. Unsure if taking work too seriously is a weakness, as pointed out by those around him, he tries not to overthink it.
For Manish, the true meaning of the word passion is to explore and be ready for the endless possibilities that this life has to offer to everyone. He has a special passion for some pursuits, but his mantra has always been to embrace every positive opportunity that comes his way. At the same time, he also thinks that one’s personal passion should not be directed merely at personal goals. “One has to be public-spirited enough to direct his or her personal passion towards serving the needs of the others, the community in general, and the country as a whole,” he shares.
An alumnus of the prestigious RMIT University in Australia, he took up Bikano work during challenging times. Ever since, he expanded Bikano’s footprints in over thirty-five countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. In fact, he terms this as a matter of immense fulfillment and not really achievement per se. In 2019, Manish was a speaker at the World Food India meet, where he spoke about globalizing traditional foods in India. Furthermore, he who launched a new chain of employee cafeterias, Bikano Chat Café. These outlets are mostly catering in-house to the corporates. One of his most prominent accomplishments is his strong foothold in expanding the market to the middle-east with outlets in Dubai and Sharjah.
Manish holds true that always keeping the big picture in mind is the way to go for anyone. “We often tend to get distracted by short-term hurdles or get carried away by momentary successes. Remember, life is not a 100-meter dash, it’s a marathon. Deep in your heart and mind, you should be clear about your personal and professional goals and work every single day towards them.” Besides this suggestion, he also guides having a plan B in mind. “Never be rigid with your short-term goals.”
In his message for the readers, Manish speaks with simplicity, “Be good, do good, and be good.” With the global position that he holds and the things he’s accomplished, Manish is every bit unpretentious, level-headed, and industrious.