Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale facts for kids

Chitale Bandhu is a famous Indian family business known for its delicious snacks and sweets. It is especially popular in the state of Maharashtra.

The company was started in 1950 by two brothers, Raghunath Bhaskar Chitale (also known as Bhausaheb) and Narsinha Bhaskar Chitale (also known as Rajabhau). Their first shop opened on Bajirao Road in Pune, and it is still there today.

Over the years, Chitale Bandhu became famous for making traditional Indian snacks called namkeen. Their most popular snack is the bakarwadi, a crispy, spicy roll. They also make many kinds of sweets. Today, their products are sold all over India and even in other countries like the United States, Singapore, and Israel.

The company offers more than 60 types of sweets and 40 types of snacks. Their shops are very busy, with thousands of customers visiting every day.

History of the Company

How It All Began

The story of Chitale Bandhu starts in the 1930s with a man named Bhaskar Ganesh Chitale. He had a milk business in a small village in the Satara district of Maharashtra. Sadly, his business faced a major problem when his cattle died from a disease.

In 1939, Mr. Chitale started a new company called Chitale Dairy. It quickly became known for its high-quality milk. His son, Raghunath Rao Chitale, helped the business grow by opening a shop in Mumbai.

After a few years, Raghunath moved to Pune. There, he and his brother Narsinha started selling milk that came from their family's dairy. Their business in Pune was a big success. In 1950, they used their earnings to buy a small shop. This shop became the first Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale, which means "Chitale Brothers Sweet Sellers."

The Famous Bakarwadi

In 1970, Chitale Bandhu started selling a snack called bakarwadi. It became so popular that the company had to find a way to make more of it, faster.

At first, they made about 300 kilograms of bakarwadi a day. To keep up with all the customers who wanted it, they brought in special machines. Narsinha Chitale even traveled to Japan to find new technology to help. By 1989, they had machines that helped make the bakarwadi, and later the whole process became automatic.

Thanks to the bakarwadi, the company's sales grew a lot. Today, they sell about 3,000 kilograms of this tasty snack every single day!

Popular Products

Chitale Bandhu sells a huge variety of snacks and sweets. Here are some of the most popular ones.

Snacks and Namkeen

The company makes over 40 different kinds of savory snacks, known as namkeen. Some of the favorites include bakarwadi, chivda (a crunchy mix), sev (crispy noodles), and shankarpali (a diamond-shaped biscuit). They also sell fresh snacks like samosas and kachoris.

Bakarwadi

Bakarwadi is a crispy, pinwheel-shaped snack that is both spicy and sweet. Even though the snack first came from the state of Gujarat, Chitale Bandhu made it famous across Maharashtra and the rest of India. It became so connected with the company that many people think of Chitale when they think of bakarwadi.

Sev

Sev is a crunchy snack made from chickpea flour. Chitale Bandhu sells many types, including:

• Spicy and thick sev
• Plain, normal-sized sev
• Very thin, "zero-sized" sev
• Sev with extra spices (Masala Sev)
• Sev flavored with spinach (Palak Sev) or tomato

Chivda

Chivda is a popular trail mix-style snack. Some types they sell are:

• Poha (flattened rice) Chivda
• Maka (corn) Chivda
• Potato Chivda
• Namkeen Mix, which has a little bit of everything.

Sweets

The company is also famous for its sweets, with over 60 kinds to choose from. They sell different types of halva, burfi (a dense, milk-based sweet), peda (a soft, milky sweet), Laddu (sweet balls), and Jalebi (a spiral-shaped syrup-soaked sweet).

Burfi

Some of the popular burfi flavors include:

• Kaju Katli (cashew fudge)
• Anjir (Fig) Burfi
• Pista (Pistachio) Burfi
• Malai (Cream) Burfi

Sweet Rolls

These are soft, sweet rolls with different fillings. Flavors include gulkand (rose petal jam), mango, fig, and cashew-apple.

Stores and Distribution

Chitale Bandhu has more than 75 stores across Maharashtra. They also have a large network of distributors who make sure their products can be found in shops all over India.

The company also exports its snacks and sweets to many parts of the world. People in the European Union, the USA, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Australia can all enjoy Chitale Bandhu's products.