Some factory visits are about machines, processes and products.
Some are about people, purpose and the future.
Our visit to Chitale Bandhu was about all three.
Our Founder President & CEO Dr Anand Wadadekar recently had the privilege of visiting the Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale factory in Pune representing National Forum for Learning, Innovation and Growth (NFLIG) and as part of the Ross Michigan Executive Education Team delegation, along with Nicholas Hamilton-Archer, Global CEO, and Amita Karve, India & Middle East Director.
And yes, there was a certain excitement in walking into the place where the iconic Chitale Bakarwadi and Chiwda are made — products that many of us have enjoyed for decades!
But beyond the products, what stayed with me was the organisation behind the brand.
Meeting Prasad Bagde, CHRO, and understanding the organisation’s approach to people, leadership and learning gave us an opportunity to look beyond the factory floor.
For us, this is an important reminder:
Future-ready organisations are not built only by investing in technology, infrastructure or processes. They are built by investing in people who can lead what comes next.
The conversation around the future workforce plans of Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale was particularly interesting. As businesses evolve across generations, the ability to preserve organisational legacy while preparing people for the future becomes a critical leadership challenge.
A sincere thank you to Indraneel Chitale for taking the time to meet us and for sharing his vision for Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale, its people and its future.
And thank you to Prasad Bagde for the warm interaction and insights.
Products create a brand.
People create an organisation.
Leaders create its future.
