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Conceptual packaging design for Balaji Khichiya Papad, created for the FMCG snack category

BALAJI KHICHIYA PAPAD

2025

Strategy, Brand Identity,
Nomenclature, Positioning,
Packaging Design,
Typography & Illustrationy

A taste of home, now packed in a box by Balaji Wafers.

Balaji Wafers, a name that echoes in every Indian home, wasn’t looking to reinvent the wheel. They wanted to honour it. Balaji has always been about bringing familiar flavours to the forefront, across age groups and occasions.

Khichiya Papad, a crunchy companion to steaming khichdi, a sidekick in thalis, a standalone snack with a squeeze of lime, has always had a quiet place in our kitchens. But in this box, it gets a louder one.

Balaji Wafers wanted to take this humble side dish and give it a front-row seat. Something that could sit proudly on shelves, look as good as it tastes, and still carry the comfort of home.

The brief was simple, but layered: Create a design that resonates with the older generation, who grew up eating it hot off the pan. And with the younger one, discovering it between meals. It had to feel grown-up without being dull. Nostalgic, but not old-fashioned. Something that could sit proudly on a modern shelf and still feel like home.

Balaji Khichiya Papad

2024

Balaji Wafers Pvt. Ltd.

(Gujarat, India)

Packaging Design & Illustration

A taste of home, now packed in a box by Balaji Wafers

Balaji Wafers, a name that echoes in every Indian home, wasn’t looking to reinvent the wheel. They wanted to honour it. Balaji has always been about bringing familiar flavours to the forefront, across age groups and occasions.

Khichiya Papad, a crunchy companion to steaming khichdi, a sidekick in thalis, a standalone snack with a squeeze of lime, has always had a quiet place in our kitchens. But in this box, it gets a louder one. Balaji Wafers wanted to take this humble side dish and give it a front-row seat. Something that could sit proudly on shelves, look as good as it tastes, and still carry the comfort of home.

The brief was simple, but layered: Create a design that resonates with the older generation, who grew up eating it hot off the pan. And with the younger one, discovering it between meals. It had to feel grown-up without being dull. Nostalgic, but not old-fashioned. Something that could sit proudly on a modern shelf and still feel like home.

Moodboard showing early visual research for Khichiya Papad packaging design concept

We took inspiration from the age-old ritual where women gather on sunlit terraces, spreading papads across cotton cloth with laughter, stories, and shared hands. It’s a quiet ritual, passed down through generations, turning ordinary afternoons into moments of making, waiting, and remembering.

Packaging design that blends modern layout with nostalgic storytelling for Khichiya Papad

A moment of nostalgic consumption

The identity and the ecosystem of the redesign of Balaji Wafers’ Khichiya Papad is built around the regional Indian kitchen. The packaging leans heavily into memory, of sights, smells, and rhythms familiar to those who’ve seen papads being made at home. At the heart of the illustration is a mother rolling khichu A lovingly hand-drawn process, capturing not just a snack, but the story around it. The warmth of the kitchen. The tangy aromas. The joy of tugging your mother’s dupatta, impatient for the next round.

The backdrop features papads drying on a cotton soft cloth under an open sky. An alternate approach to the visual shift focus, highlighting the workers who craft these snacks with love and dedication. The mother’s labour is in the centre, her hands shaping each papad with care and love while her child eats the papad with content. This adds authenticity and a human touch to the visual narration of the brand.

Conceptual illustration-based packaging design for Balaji Khichiya Papad focused on culture

Rather than presenting the product in isolation, the scene captures its context. It’s not just about what Khichiya Papad is, it’s about how it becomes what it is. That process, rendered in soft illustration, is what turns the packaging into something more than a wrapper. It becomes a small, familiar story. The illustration extends across all four panels, allowing the story to unfold continuously.

scene of rooftop papad-making featured on Balaji’s packaging design
Group shot of Balaji Khichiya Papad boxes displaying full product lineup and shelf impact
Visual slide explaining the packaging concept and creative strategy behind Khichiya Papad

On shelves, this detail becomes functional: when the boxes are stacked, the khaat aligns, forming a consistent visual rhythm across packs. This design choice doesn’t just build recognition; it invites attention. It rewards anyone who pauses long enough to notice. To balance this warmth with clear product navigation, the two variants, Rice and Wheat, are distinguished through subtle color shifts: a cool teal for rice, a muted peach-beige for wheat. Ingredient sacks on the side panels act as visual anchors, helping shoppers intuitively differentiate between the two without disrupting the visual harmony of the box.

Stacked display of Balaji Papad boxes highlighting form and structural consistency
Multiple front-facing views of Balaji Papad packaging design showing variation

The typography plays a crucial part in building the narrative. The customised fonts mirror the charm of local kirana stores, combining two different styles to add playfulness and cultural context. The rounded or gently curved fonts reflect the ease and comfort of Balaji snacks, making the logo a delightful experience. This style is inspired by the hand-painted storefront banners you see in your local kirana shops. The multifaceted nature of the font makes it memorable and hard to ignore on the shelves.

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A woman holding Balaji Papad boxes, portraying human interaction and product scale

The Balaji branding appears across touchpoints, ensuring visibility no matter how the box is placed. But it stays gentle. Present, never overpowering. It’s like the papad itself, a supporting role in meals, but never forgettable. What ties both approaches together is their ability to transport the consumers, mirroring a portal to simple times, a feeling of being barefoot in the sun on a warm terrace, and the taste of love. It is a gentle reminder that no matter how busy and complicated our modern lives get, certain flavours have the power to bring us home again, no matter where we are.

Final design moodboard capturing aesthetic direction for Balaji Khichiya Papad branding

Brought to life by
DIB Creative Studio & Balaji Wafers Pvt. Ltd.

Concept & Creative Direction
Pankti Sheth, Dhavanshi Shah, Shaiva Bhatt

Art Direction
Dhavanshi Shah

Project Operation & Management
Mitlesh Solanki

Client Collaboration
Jay Sachdev (Head of Marketing, Balaji Wafers Pvt. Ltd.)

Illustration
Dhavanshi Shah

3D Pack Render
Abhishek Kumar

Motion Graphics
Priyal Vora

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