&w=3840&q=100)
Does India's famous Karachi Bakery have links to Pakistan? Why was it vandalised?
Amid tensions with Pakistan, one of the branches of Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad was vandalised, with the mob demanding that the name be changed. Image Courtesy: Facebook
As India and Pakistan engaged in hostilities on Saturday (May 11) — with Islamabad launching drones and missiles across the border — the famous Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad was vandalised by right-wing elements, demanding that the confectionery store change its name.
Notably, this isn't the first time that the brand, which is known for its fruit and Osmania biscuits, has been at the receiving end of hyper-nationalists in India, who repeatedly question the store owners' allegiance to the country.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Amid this new controversy, we take a look at what happened at Karachi Bakery on Saturday, just hours before a ceasefire was announced between India and Pakistan, and the history of this brand.
Right-wing elements attack Karachi Bakery
On Saturday (May 10), an outlet of Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad's Shamshabad was vandalised by an angry mob of right-wing activists. Visuals of the incident show a group of men hitting the bakery's signboard displaying the work 'Karachi' with sticks and shouting slogans of 'Pakistan Murdabad' and 'Jai Jawan', alluding to Indian troops and Operation Sindoor.
Men calling themselves nationalists vandalising an Indian owned Karachi bakery in Hyderabad.
It's a 6-decade old Indian brand founded by founded by Khanchand Ramnani.
Poor Karachi bakery that has nothing to do with Pakistan becomes the victim of idiocy every single time. pic.twitter.com/XDkmtMnkgp — Anusha Ravi Sood (@anusharavi10) May 11, 2025
Confirming the incident, K Balaraju, inspector, RGI Airport Police Station, said, 'No employees at the bakery were harmed. No serious damage was done. We were on the spot within a few minutes of the incident and could disperse the members.'
This incident comes just days after another Karachi Bakery store in Hyderabad was embroiled in a India-Pakistan protest. At the height of the conflict last week, protesters were seen planting tricolour flags at the Banjara Hills Branch of the bakery.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Moreover, a group of people protested outside Karachi Bakery's outlet in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. A video of the protest showed members demanding the name be changed, claiming it was unacceptable to name an Indian business after a Pakistani city. The police intervened just in time, preventing protesters from tearing down the signboard.
These incidents led to the owners of Karachi Bakery to reiterate its love for India. On Instagram, the owners of the famous store posted a message, asserting that it was 'proudly Indian'. 'Our name is part of our history, not our nationality,' it added.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
When Karachi Bakery felt the heat
This isn't the first brush with trouble for the famous Karachi Bakery. In fact, each time there are war clouds over India and Pakistan, the confectionery store has faced trouble.
In Mumbai, following the 26/11 terror attacks of 2008, both the Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) took turns targeting the bakery. A video posted by Shiv Sena's Nitin Nandgaonkar's Facebook page showed him speaking to the owner of the store in the Mumbai suburban area of Bandra. The Sena leader asked the shop owner to change the store's name to 'something in Marathi'.
The MNS even issued a legal notice in 2020. Eventually, under financial strain and continuous pressure, the Mumbai branch shut down in 2021. The MNS claimed victory with the party's vice president Haji Saif Shaikh writing on X, 'After massive protest for its name, Karachi Bakery finally closes its only shop in Mumbai.'
Then again, in 2019, after the Pulwama attack — in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force troops were killed — Karachi Bakery's Indiranagar branch in Bengaluru was forced to cover the word 'Karachi' on its signboard following threats from a group of agitators.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
What's in a name? The history of Karachi Bakery
But what's the history behind the famous confectionery store? Does it have any links to Pakistan?
Karachi Bakery, founded in a bylane near the outlet in Moazzam Jahi Market in Hyderabad, began in 1953 by Khanchand Ramnani, a Hindu Sindhi who migrated from Karachi during Partition.
Ramnani's grandsons recount how the move occurred amid the horrific days of the great divide. According to them, Khanchand, who had a food and bakery business in Sindh, decided to move to India along with his four sons. At the time, armed with just a few recipes and the memory of his city, Karachi, Khanchand decided to name the store as 'Karachi Bakery' as an ode to the city he was forced to leave behind.
Karachi Bakery is a well-known establishment in Hyderabad since 1953. It has often been the focus of protests during periods of heightened India-Pakistan tensions. Image Courtesy: Flickr
As current promoters Rajesh and Harish Ramnani were quoted as saying, 'Our grandfather named it after his hometown. Karachi was where he came from, Hyderabad is where he rebuilt his life.'
In the initial years, Karachi Bakery sold bakery and food items sourced from third parties. However, in 1960, the owner began selling handcrafted fruit and Osmania biscuits, which became an instant favourite of the people of Hyderabad.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
It was only in 2007 that Karachi Bakery opened a second store in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Today, years after being established, Karachi Bakery operates over 36 outlets across India in major cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Gurugram. It also exports its products to more than 20 countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and those in the Gulf.
And even as some attack the famous store amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions, there are those who condemn it. One X user wrote, 'Every time something happens with Pakistan, this establishment is targeted by radicals. They are from Sindh, Karachi was once our land. Let's make it that way again rather than targeting poor Sindhi Hindu owners of this iconic bakery for cheap politics.'
Another added, 'This is next-level stupidity. There are Sindhis, Parsis who all moved out of Karachi during partition. In fact, there are people with the Karachiwala surname. That doesn't mean you end up attacking people. Let our armed forces deal with our enemies at the border and just pray for them.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
With inputs from agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Wire
41 minutes ago
- The Wire
Trump Aide Calls India ‘Laundromat For the Kremlin', Says Tariffs to Hit on Aug 27
Earlier in the day, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said in Moscow that India is 'perplexed' by Washington's reasoning. New Delhi: Trump aide Peter Navarro on Thursday (August 21) accused India of acting as a 'laundromat for the Kremlin' and 'cozying up to Xi Jinping', warning that new US tariffs on Indian goods would take effect on August 27. 'Just six days from now, you see – I see that [the imposition of secondary tariffs on August 27] taking place. India doesn't appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed. It simply doesn't. It's cozying up to Xi Jinping, that's what it's doing,' Navarro, a White House trade adviser, told reporters in Washington on Thursday. Earlier in the day in Moscow, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had expressed puzzlement at the American move. ' We are very perplexed at the logic of the argument,' he said, noting that China, not India, was the largest buyer of Russian oil, while Europe was the biggest importer of Russian LNG. He added that Washington itself had encouraged India to buy Russian crude to stabilise energy markets, and pointed out that Indian imports of US oil had also been rising. Navarro, however, rejected India's reasoning. 'They don't need the oil. It's a refining profiteering scheme. It's a laundromat for the Kremlin. That's the reality of that,' he said. He added that before the Ukraine war, India imported 'virtually no Russian oil … like 1% of their needs,' but that figure had since climbed to '30% or 35%.' 'The argument now … that they somehow need Russian oil to cool their homes or cook or drive their cars, is nonsense,' he said. Navarro alleged that Indian refiners were buying discounted Russian crude, processing it and selling fuel at premium prices overseas. 'It's strictly profiteering – profiteering by the Indian refining industry, Big Oil,' he said. Linking the tariffs to the US economy, Navarro stated: 'When you think about the tariffs we're putting in place – 25% because they cheat us on trade, 25% because of the Russian oil – I ask you this: what is the net impact on Americans?' He described India's barriers as 'higher tariffs, Maharaja tariffs, higher non-tariff barriers', arguing that they contributed to a 'massive' US trade deficit that 'hurts American workers' and 'hurts American businesses'. 'Then they use the money they get from us, when they sell us stuff, to buy Russian oil, which is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there. But then the Russians use the money to build more arms and kill Ukrainians, and so American taxpayers have to provide more aid, military style, to the Ukrainians. That's insane,' Navarro said. He said he wrote his recent Financial Times article 'to deal with the propaganda of the Indian government', which he said was designed to 'make people want to feel sorry for them: 'Oh, they need the oil.' They don't need the oil.' Navarro said President Donald Trump 'sees that chessboard beautifully' and argued that 'in many ways, the road to peace runs through New Delhi'. Despite his criticism, Navarro stressed, 'I love India. Look, Modi's a great leader. But please, please, India – look at what your role here is in the global economy. What you're doing right now is not creating peace, it's perpetuating the war.' This article went live on August twenty-second, two thousand twenty five, at fifty-seven minutes past twelve at night. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
China ‘Twists' Jaishankar's Taiwan Remark, Then Warns India For Clarifying
/ Aug 22, 2025, 12:57AM IST China's Foreign Ministry slammed India's stance on Taiwan after Wang Yi's Delhi visit. Beijing claimed Jaishankar said 'Taiwan is part of China' - India later denied it. New Delhi clarified its policy remains unchanged but without 'One-China' wording. China accused Indian voices of undermining its sovereignty and ties with Beijing. This war of words comes amid Wang Yi's Delhi visit.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
India-Russia Strengthen Partnership Through Energy Cooperation And Balanced Trade Discussions
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov engaged in comprehensive discussions in Moscow on Thursday, focusing on expanding bilateral trade relationships in a sustainable manner while ensuring long-term supply arrangements for critical commodities including fertilizers and maintaining robust energy cooperation. The high-level diplomatic engagement emphasized that India-Russia relations remain among the world's most stable major partnerships, driven by geopolitical alignment and strong public support. The ministerial talks took place one day after Jaishankar co-chaired a bilateral trade and economic commission meeting, highlighting the strategic importance both nations place on strengthening their economic ties. During the discussions, Jaishankar addressed several pressing concerns affecting bilateral relations, including India's substantial trade deficit with Russia, non-tariff barriers that impede commerce, regulatory obstacles, and the sensitive issue of Indian nationals serving in the Russian military. Following his discussions with Lavrov, Jaishankar also held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is anticipated to visit India later this year for a summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This diplomatic engagement occurred against the backdrop of Jaishankar's recent meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi, aimed at normalizing India-China relations, while tensions with Washington continue to escalate over trade disputes and punitive American tariffs on Indian goods. Opening the formal discussions, Jaishankar emphasized the global context shaping their bilateral engagement, noting the evolving geopolitical landscape, shifting economic and trade dynamics, and both countries' shared objective of maximizing their complementary strengths. Lavrov responded by highlighting the special significance of India-Russia relations, particularly as the world witnesses the emergence of new international relationship architectures. During a joint press conference following their talks, Jaishankar characterized India-Russia ties as representing one of the world's steadiest major relationships, with geopolitical convergence and popular sentiment serving as fundamental driving forces. He stressed that as both nations work toward expanding bilateral trade, growth must occur in a balanced and sustainable fashion through increased Indian exports and resolution of non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments. The trade relationship presents both opportunities and challenges, with bilateral commerce reaching a record $68.7 billion in 2024-25. However, this figure masks a significant imbalance, as India's exports totaled merely $4.88 billion compared to much larger Russian exports to India. This disparity has grown dramatically, expanding nine-fold from $6.6 billion to $58.9 billion over the past four years, creating an urgent need for corrective measures. Jaishankar emphasized that enhancing Indian exports in key sectors including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles would help address this substantial trade imbalance. Both sides explored strategies to ensure sustained fertilizer supplies and maintain energy cooperation through expanded trade and investment arrangements. Russia currently supplies nearly 40 percent of India's energy requirements, with Indian imports of petroleum and crude oil valued at $53 billion in 2024, according to United Nations data aggregation. The discussions addressed practical measures to enhance economic cooperation, including improved mobility arrangements for skilled Indian workers to meet Russia's labor demands, particularly in information technology, construction, and engineering sectors. Jaishankar advocated for expediting the establishment of two Indian consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg to facilitate these enhanced economic linkages. Both ministers examined connectivity initiatives designed to deepen economic relationships and reduce transit times, including the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor, and the Northern Sea Route. These infrastructure projects represent strategic investments in long-term economic partnership between the two nations. Jaishankar described defense and military cooperation as robust, emphasizing Russia's support for India's "Make in India" initiatives through joint production arrangements and technology transfer programs. This collaboration continues despite criticism from the United States regarding India's defense procurement from Russia. A sensitive topic addressed during the talks involved Indian nationals serving in the Russian Army. Jaishankar acknowledged progress in resolving these cases while noting ongoing concerns, stating that while many individuals had been released, pending cases and missing persons remained issues requiring expeditious resolution from Russian authorities. According to official Indian data, 126 Indians were recruited by Russian military forces, with 12 fatalities during combat operations in Ukraine. Russian authorities discharged 96 individuals, while 16 others remained listed as missing. Regional security issues featured prominently in the discussions, including developments in Ukraine, West Asia, and Afghanistan, along with India's ongoing struggle against cross-border terrorism. Jaishankar reiterated India's diplomatic approach emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy for conflict resolution, while affirming that India and Russia would jointly combat all forms of terrorism. He conveyed India's unwavering commitment to zero-tolerance policies against terrorism and the nation's sovereign right to defend citizens against cross-border terrorist activities. The ministerial engagement served as preparation for the anticipated Modi-Putin summit, with Jaishankar noting that both sides were developing concrete outcomes for the high-level meeting. He emphasized that practical steps were being implemented to ensure substantial growth in the bilateral relationship beyond diplomatic rhetoric. These discussions occurred as India navigates complex international relationships, balancing its traditional partnership with Russia against growing tensions with the United States over trade policies. The meetings demonstrate India's commitment to maintaining strategic autonomy while pursuing its national interests across multiple international partnerships. The talks reflected both countries' determination to strengthen their partnership despite external pressures and changing global dynamics. By addressing practical challenges including trade imbalances, regulatory barriers, and human resource mobility, both sides demonstrated commitment to building a more robust and sustainable partnership capable of withstanding international political pressures. The comprehensive agenda covered during the Jaishankar-Lavrov talks illustrates the multifaceted nature of India-Russia relations, encompassing energy security, defense cooperation, trade expansion, technological collaboration, and regional security concerns. This diplomatic engagement reinforces both nations' commitment to deepening their strategic partnership while adapting to evolving global circumstances and maintaining their respective national interests in an increasingly complex international environment.
