'Why Not A Little Puff Power?' Harsh Goenka Says 'Jhalmuri Could Be India's Next Global Export' After PM Modi's Stop In Bengal's Jhargram

'Why Not A Little Puff Power?' Harsh Goenka Says 'Jhalmuri Could Be India's Next Global Export' After PM Modi's Stop In Bengal's Jhargram

PM Narendra Modi’s brief halt at a jhalmuri stall in West Bengal’s Jhargram during campaigning triggered a viral social media trend, with millions of views online. Industrialist Harsh Goenka later joked that the snack could become the next global superfood, highlighting its simplicity, flavour and export potential if branded creatively for international markets.

Karishma Pranav BhavsarUpdated: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 04:26 PM IST
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Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi created an unexpected moment of excitement in West Bengal's Jhargram when he briefly halted his convoy at a roadside jhalmuri stall while campaigning for the upcoming state Assembly elections. After this, Jhalmuri started to gain a lot of traction on social media, clocking over 100 million views on Instagram, while on Facebook, it quickly surged toward the 90 million mark.

Now, Industrialist Harsh Goenka also took to his social media on April 21 and asked if Jhalmuri could be the next superfood after Quinoa, then avocado. He also suggested that, with the right positioning, the snack could also evolve into a major global export from India.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Gooenka wrote, "When the PM paused for a humble paper cone of jhalmuri, little did he know he was about to puff up an entire industry."

He then added, "Quinoa, then avocado, can this be the next superfood? Someone just needs to call it 'air-infused indigenous rice crackle with artisanal mustard oil reduction added with some hand-crushed chillies and cloudy coconut chunks', and it becomes a Rs 450 delicacy. And why not?"

In a humorous tone, he also suggested a strategic branding that could elevate traditional food into a premium one and said, "Someone just needs to call it air-infused indigenous rice crackle with artisanal mustard oil reduction added with some hand-crushed chillies and cloudy coconut chunks, and it becomes a Rs 450 delicacy."

"And why not? and explained that it is light enough for guilt-free consumption, flavourful, and cheap enough to be 'sabka saath sabka vikaas'

Amid increasingly complex diets and complicated geopolitics, he said that "jhalmuri remains beautifully simple: mix, toss, eat, smile." He further said that "If handled right, jhalmuri could well be India's next global export."

He pointed out that India has successfully popularised cultural exports such as yoga, chai and Bollywood, adding that, "Why not a little puff power?"

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