Balaji is a household name across India, known for bringing familiar, comforting snacks to people of all ages. With Khichiya Papad, the goal was to honour a humble staple Indian snack that has long had a quiet place on our plates and give it the attention it deserves.

We crafted a visual narrative that captures how Khichiya Papad is made, served, and remembered, preserving its nostalgic charm while creating a pack that feels clean, thoughtful, and relevant on modern shelves.

The identity is built around a continuous hand-drawn illustration that wraps around the box, depicting a mother shaping papads, a child enjoying the first crunchy bite, and raw papads drying on a Chaarpai, a woven bed largely used in South Asia, under the sun. The packaging leans heavily into memory, of sights, smells, and rhythms familiar to those who’ve seen papads being made at home.

Blending the beauty of Indian tradition with the charm of modern elements was an essential strategy in this project. From childhood to adulthood, our kitchen spaces have undergone a significant shift. What was once built around collective activities, slow processes, and family rituals has now moved toward speed and automation, with much of our food made in a jiffy. This design pays homage to the times when making papad was a slow, deliberate process, before the machines entered the scene.

From typography inspired by Kirana (Indian convienience store) storefronts to the alignment of artwork when boxes are stacked, every element is designed to evoke warmth, emotional recall, and shelf presence, all while staying true to Balaji’s legacy.