imported>AdellBarreto6 at 11:19, 20 February 2026

2026-02-20T11:19:31Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{short description|Indian snack company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Chitale Bandhu
| logo =
| trading_name = Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale
| type = Private
| industry = FMCG {{!}} Food Industry
| founded = Pune, Maharashtra, India in 1950 by Raghunathrao (Bhausaheb) Chitale.
Bhilavdi, Sangli, Maharashtra
| founder = Raghunathrao Chitale
| key_people =
| products = Sweets, Snacks & Savouries.
| revenue_year =
| assets_year =
| num_employees =
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.chitalebandhu.in/}}
}}

'''Chitale Bandhu''' is an [[Indian people|Indian]] snacks enterprise based in [[Maharashtra]]. It was founded by Raghunath Bhaskar Chitale and Narsinha Bhaskar Chitale in 1950 as a subsidiary of the Chitale Group of Industries. Its first outlet was set up in Bajirao Road, [[Pune]]. Although its outlets are limited to major cities of Maharashtra, the products are distributed all across India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chitalegroup.com/chitale-group-companies/about-chitale-bandhu|title=Chitale Bandhu - Sweets, Mithais, Namkeen, Instant Mixes, snacks, Bajirao road, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune, Maharashtra, India.|website=Chitale Groups|access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref> Chitale Bandhu has been known for making [[Namkeen (food)|namkeen]] (especially [[bakarwadi]]s) and sweets. The brand menu consists of over sixty kinds of sweets and forty kinds of namkeen. The enterprise has an average turnover of around 2 billion [[rupee]]s with around 2,000 to 2,500 customers shopping every day.

== History ==

=== Early years ===
In the mid-1930s, Bhaskar Ganesh Chitale, also known as B.G. Chitale, was an ordinary milk businessman located in a small village of [[Limbgaon, Nanded|Limbgaon]] situated in the [[Satara district|Satara]] district of Maharashtra. Due to an unexpected turn of events, his cattle fell prey to an unknown disease resulting in their death. This caused a major loss in the business owned by the Chitale Family.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://indiasuccessstories.com/view_story/Evolution-of-Chitale-Bhandhu-Sweet-Mart-|title=Evolution of Chitale Bhandhu Sweet Mart|last=Chitale|first=Shrikrishna|website=India Success Stories|language=en|access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref>

In 1939, Chitale founded the Chitale Group of industries by starting his first enterprise, Chitale Dairy. The brand quickly gained reputation for its quality after it expanded its reach after Raghunath Rao Chitale aka "Bhau Chitale" (son of B. G. Chitale) set up a shop in [[Mumbai|Mumbai, Maharashtra]] in partnership.<ref name=":1" />

In 1946, the partnership came to an end and Raghunath Rao Chitale had to leave Mumbai. He then moved to Pune and along with his brother Narsinha started vending milk supplied to him from [[Bhilawadi]] in [[Palus, Maharashtra|Palus]], Maharashtra. The business became a success in the city and in the year 1950 he bought a 500 [[Square foot|square feet]] shop where he set up a new enterprise, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/punes-vendor-of-sweets/article23029571.ece|title=Pune's vendor of sweets|last=Iyer|first=Satyanarayan|website=@businessline|date=20 September 2012 |language=en|access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

=== Introduction of Bakarwadi ===
Chitale Bandhu started the sale of [[bakarwadi]] in 1970. Due to the growth of demand, the enterprise installed machines to maintain the original shape and size of the bakarwadi.<ref name=":0" />

In the early nineties, the sale of bakarwadi was around {{cvt|300|kg}} a day.<ref name=":0" /> Currently, the enterprise sells about {{cvt|3000|kg}} of the snack daily. Introduction of bakarwadi in Chitale Bandhu's shop increased the sales of the enterprise to a great extent.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/bhakarwadi-a-beloved-maharashtrian-snack-that-originated-in-gujarat-1726625|title=Bhakarwadi: A Popular Snack You Believe is Maharashtrian Actually Belongs to Gujarat|website=NDTV Food|date=5 June 2017 |access-date=9 March 2020}}</ref> This growing demand for the new snack was fulfilled after Narsinha Chitale toured Japan in the 1970s. With the introduction of new technology, the enterprise adopted a semi-automatic production of bakarwadi in 1989.<ref name=":2" />

In the following years Chitale Bandhu started opening multiple branches around Pune.<ref name=":2" />

== Products ==

=== Snacks and namkeen ===
Chitale Bandhu has over 40 varieties of Namkeen sold at multiple outlets. Some of the common and widely sold Namkeen include: [[bakarwadi]], [[Bombay mix|chivda]], [[Farsan (food)|farsan]], gathi, [[papri chat]], [[Sev (food)|sev]], and [[shankarpali]]. Chitale Bandhu also sells [[chaat]] products such as [[samosa]] and [[kachori]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flavorsofmycity.com/chitale-bandhu-mithaiwale|title=Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale |website=www.flavorsofmycity.com|access-date=13 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dineout.co.in/pune/chitale-bandhu-mithaiwale-deccan-gymkhana-west-pune-15688/menu|title=Menu of Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune {{!}} Dineout discovery|website=www.dineout.co.in|access-date=15 March 2020}}</ref>

==== Bakarwadi ====
Chitale Bandhu has been known for selling [[bakarwadi]] since the early 1970s. Although this snack was originally made in [[Gujarat]], it gained popularity in Maharashtra when it was introduced.<ref name=":2" /> “In 1970, a person from Surat, Gujarat introduced Bhausaheb to the bakarwadi,” said Indraneel Chitale, one of Bhausaheb’s grandsons. It has been a part of traditional west Indian cooking, particularly Gujarati farsaan, for a long time. But without Bhausaheb Chitale and the rapid growth of India’s packaged food industry, bakarwadi may not have been as popular among Indians both in the country and abroad. Many sources, such as NDTV foods, believe that although the enterprise was performing well in the sweets sector, after the introduction of [[bakarwadi]] in the menu, its sales increased rapidly. NDTV foods also referred to this snack as a "bronzed snack".<ref name=":2" /> With the technological change, the organisation made the production of bakarwadi automatic, which allowed it to boost the production of bakarwadi. This increased the sale of bakarwadis from 300 kilos a day in 1970, to over 3000 kilos a day in 2012.<ref name=":0" />

==== Shev ====
A large variety of [[Sev (food)|shev]] is available at Chitale Bandhu, such as:

* Tikhat Jad (spicy and thick) Shev
* Sadhi (Normal-sized) Shev
* Zero-sized Shev
* Masala Shev
* Palak (Spinach) Shev
* Tomato Shev

==== Chivda ====
The enterprise has also been known for selling variety of [[Bombay mix|chivda]], such as:

* [[Flattened rice|Poha]] (Flattened rice) Chivda
* Maka (Corn) Chivda
* Potato Chivda
* Namkeen Mix

=== Sweets ===
There are over 60 sweets on the menu of the enterprise. The sweets that are sold include: various types of [[halva]] (such as almond and pineapple flavour), [[Barfi|burfi]], sweet rolls, [[peda]], [[Laddu]] and [[Jalebi]] (also pronounced as "Jilebi" ).<ref name=":3" />

==== Burfi ====
A list of burfi which are sold at Chitale Bandhu include:

* [[Kaju katli|Kaju Katali]]
* Anjir ([[Common fig|Fig]]) Burfi
* Pista Burfi
* Malai Burfi

==== Rolls (sweet) ====
The enterprise has various flavours of roll which include: [[Gulkand]], mango, anjir, and cashew-apple.

== Controversy ==

In 2017, the workers of Chitale Bandhu, went on a strike who demanded a hike in their salaries. Following the labor court's order, the workers returned to work on 1 October 2017.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/civic/chitale-workers-say-they-were-harassed/articleshow/60945588.cms|title=Chitale workers say they were harassed|last=Kulkarni|first=Prachee |date=5 October 2017|website=Pune Mirror|language=en|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> However, according to the workers, they were not given a professional treatment after re-joining. Many of them stated that they were made to sit idle in the working hours. One of the employee, Vandana Ughade, claimed that the doors of the workplace were also closed to confine the workers in.<ref name=":4" /> Indraneel Chitale, the owner of the enterprise in 2017, countered all the claims by stating that the workers were left idle because the production itself was low due to the preceding strike.<ref name=":4" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons}}

[[Category:Snack food manufacturers]]
[[Category:Confectionery companies of India]]
[[Category:manufacturing companies based in Pune]]
[[Category:Indian brands]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 1950]]
[[Category:Food and drink companies established in 1950]]

Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale - Revision history

imported>AdellBarreto6 at 11:19, 20 February 2026