
Temasek’s pricey bite of Haldiram is a risky bet on India’s consumer market
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. At its best, Haldiram Snack Food Pvt. Ltd is a great example of a successful Indian family business.
At its worst, it is a purveyor of products that have become an unhealthy addiction for India’s middle class. Private equity feeds on such dichotomies. Which explains why Temasek picked up a 10% stake in India’s largest snack brand—almost two years after the Haldiram’s promoters, the Aggarwal family, decided to dilute their holding in it.
Several other investors including Bain, Blackstone, and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) also eyed a bite of Haldiram. But most of those conversations floundered over valuation issues. The ₹8,500 crore (nearly $977 million) that Temasek is paying for a 10% stake in Haldiram values the snacks company at nearly $10 billion, a significant premium over what its financials suggest.
Haldiram’s total revenue in 2023-24, including that of its overseas business, was about ₹10,000 crore, or $1.2 billion. The Temasek deal’s valuation multiple of nearly 9 times Haldiram’s revenue is higher than Bikaji Foods International Ltd’s 7 times valuation multiple. The price tag for Haldiram, though, may be a reflection of the Singapore state-owned investment firm’s belated entry into a business that’s been a PE favourite for over 10 years.
Urbanization, changing lifestyles, and young consumers are driving demand for convenience foods in India even as the market for packaged snacks transitions from the unorganized to the organized sector. Market research company IMARC in a report pegged the Indian snack foods market at ₹46,571 crore in 2024, projecting it to grow to ₹1,01,811 crore by 2033 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.63% during 2025-2033. Margins in the
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