Challenges in life are inevitable, especially when it comes to earning money. However, amidst the struggles, there are people who embrace these challenges and achieve remarkable success, serving as beacons of inspiration for others. Such is the story of the founder of Balaji Wafer, Chandubhai Virani who no matter how difficult the circumstances were, never gave up on his dreams. His unwavering commitment to succeed propelled him to build a business empire worth Rs 5000 crore.
Chandubhai Virani, who hails from Gujarat, belongs to a family of farmers. In 1974, the Virani brothers left their home city Jamnagar, and went to Rajkot in search of a job. Their father also sold farmland and arranged Rs 20,000 for them to start a business. As a result, the brothers ventured into a small business that involved selling farm supplies in Rajkot. However, the business failed and their hopes were shattered.
After experiencing failure, the brother went to look for another job. Chandubhai, along with his brother finally found a job at the Astron Cinema canteen.
According to Zee News, Chandubhai earned a monthly salary of Rs 90 working in the canteen. Sometimes, he would also do odd jobs including door keeping, affixing posters, and chair repair.
With time, Chandubhai and his brother secured a contract of Rs 1,000, thanks to their services at the canteen. This steady income enabled Chandubhai to build a small shed in the courtyard and begin making chips from his one-room home. The wafer he made captured the hearts and taste buds of the public both inside and outside the theatre.
To grow the business, Chandubhai borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh as a loan from a bank and opened the first factory for his potato wafer business in 1982. Riding the wave of their factory's success, he and his brothers established Balaji Wafers Private Limited in 1992 with a daily production capacity of 6.5 million kilograms of potatoes and 10 million kilograms of namkeen.
At present, Balaji Wafers is a thriving company that boasts 5,000 employees wherein a commendable 50 percent are women. It is one of the largest snack sellers in India, with a massive turnover of around Rs 5000 crore for FY23.
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