Published Aug 21, 2026 | 2:33 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 21, 2026 | 2:33 PM
Big Mishra Pedha shop in Janta Bazaar, Karnataka.
Think Dharwad, and the music of Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal and Mallikarjun Mansur wafts to mind.
For literature buffs, the place is associated with Girish Karnad and Kannada giants DR Bendre and VK Gokak, among others.
But for foodies, it’s always about the Dharwad Pedha.
The sweet was introduced by Ram Ratan Singh Thakur, who arrived in Dharwad in 1846 after fleeing the plague in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao. Milk from Dharwadi buffaloes was one of its two ingredients, with sugar being the other. Contrary to popular belief, there is reportedly no secret ingredient in the mix. The proportions hold the key to a sweet originally handmade through more than four hours of stirring.
Ram Ratan Singh’s grandson Babu Singh Thakur went on to popularise the sweet beyond the region, even being conferred the Lord Willingdon medal for taking it to an exhibition in what was then Bombay in 1913.
Girish Karnad, Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi are said to have been among the aficionados of the Pedha that actress and writer Tara Deshpande termed “soft and plump like a baby’s bottom”. Deshpande is not alone. Many others still swear by Babusingh’s Thakur Pedha, also known as Line Bazar’s Pedha, and say it’s the real McCoy.
But it is another brand, Babusingh’s Thakur Pedha’s biggest competitor and another name synonymous with the deep-brown milk sweet, that has now hit the headlines after securing a ₹300-crore investment.
Big Mishra Pedha began life in a tuck shop set up by Pandit Avadhbihari Mishra in Dharwad in 1933 and has now expanded to 250-plus stores across five states and 90-plus cities, with 40-plus products, according to Sanjay Mishra, a member of the promoter family.
Sanjay Mishra said his chain of shops now caters to 10 million customers annually.
“We have a 22-acre manufacturing facility and a fleet of 150 vehicles. We have also invested around ₹100 crore in manufacturing capacity over the last three years,” he posted, while announcing the ₹300-crore investment from Bharat Value Fund.
“The business has grown from ₹142 crore in revenue in FY22 to ₹300-plus crore in FY26. Over the next two years, we plan to add 100 more outlets and enter 50-plus new cities,” he went on to add.
Sanjay Ganesh Mishra, promoter of Dharwad Big Mishra Pedha Private Limited, said the investment would bring “the institutional capital, strategic expertise and governance framework required for our next phase of growth, while allowing us to preserve the heritage and quality that have defined Dharwad Pedha for generations.”
The percentage stake acquired by Bharat Value Fund remained undisclosed.
Interestingly, Big Mishra Pedha was promoting its Ghee Mysore Pak and Red Chilli Mix at the top of its page when South First checked the website. Its “Our Special Dharwad Pedha” was placed two slots down, though the click prompt promoted the sweet as a chance to “Order Your Happiness Now”.
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(Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
