Hyderabad-based Karachi Bakery, an Indian confectionery brand for over 70 years, has found itself at the center of a rising political and cultural storm, not for its products, but for its name.
Amid nationwide outrage following the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent military response under Operation Sindoor, some activist groups have turned their ire toward the bakery, claiming its name associated with Karachi, Pakistan, has no place in post-attack India. Protests erupted outside several outlets in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, with demonstrators demanding an immediate name change.
But the bakery’s owners, Rajesh and Harish Ramnani, are pushing back, not with defiance, but with history and heart.
Speaking to PTI, the Ramnani brothers clarified that Karachi Bakery’s name is rooted not in ideology, but in Partition-era legacy. “Our grandfather named it after his hometown when he migrated to India in 1947,” they said. “We are proud Indians. We’ve been baking in this country since 1953.”
VIDEO | Protests erupt in Hyderabad against a bakery named after Karachi. The owner clarifies and says, "Karachi Bakery was founded here in Hyderabad in 1953 by Khanchand Ramnani, who migrated to India during the Partition. It has been 73 years. Our grandfather named it after… pic.twitter.com/i6dAkwxDIR
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Far from being linked to Pakistan, Karachi Bakery is in fact a symbol of post-Partition resilience, founded by Khanchand Ramnani, a Sindhi Hindu refugee who rebuilt his life in Hyderabad. The bakery has since grown into a national brand, beloved for its fruit biscuits and cakes, with outlets across India.
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The owners are now appealing to the public and authorities alike. “We request Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and local officials to support us. We are being unfairly targeted despite our Indian roots,” they said. Several supporters have responded by displaying the Indian Tricolour at bakery outlets as a sign of solidarity.
While no official directive or legal notice has been issued so far, tensions remain high.
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