If you’ve ever mentioned the name “Prashant Corner” to anyone in Thane — whether it’s pedestrian, an autorickshaw driver, a shopkeeper, or anybody — chances are, they’ll smile and start telling you a story.
“Do you know he started by selling milk door to door?” one might say.
Another will add, “He used to sell eggs from a small stall!”
And behind all these tales stands one man — Prashant Sakpal, the self-made founder of Thane’s beloved sweet shop, Prashant Corner, which today has spread its sweetness far beyond the city — to Panvel, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, and Dombivli.
But this isn’t just the story of a successful businessman. It’s the story of grit, humility, and relentless hard work.
Humble Beginnings
Prashant Sakpal was born into a very poor family. At just eight years old, while other children went to school carefree, he was already working at a small kirana store. “I was in Class 2,” he recalls.
“The owner would insult me sometimes, and I’d silently tell myself — one day, I too will open a shop.”
Those early years were harsh. By the time he reached Class 7, he had dropped out of school.
To make ends meet, he did all kinds of small jobs — delivering milk from door to door, balancing heavy cans on his bicycle.
Who would’ve imagined that years later, the same man would buy 8,000 to 10,000 litres of milk every single day to make mithai in his own factory — a massive 1,00,000 sq ft facility at Thane’s Wagle Estate, complete with a quality testing lab?
A Dream Takes Root
The turning point came in the late 1970s. Inspired by Bal Thackeray’s call for Maharashtrians to start their own businesses under his “Marathi Manoos” movement, Sakpal found the courage to take his first step.
“In 1978, on Gudi Padwa, and with the blessings of Anand Dighe Saheb, I started a small tapri outside Saraswati School,” he remembers. His investment? Just Rs 600. His stock? Tobacco, cigarettes, eggs, bread, and Parle-G biscuits that cost 90 paise a packet.
He was only 14 years old — but his fire was far beyond his years.
The Birth of ‘Prashant Corner’
By 1989, Sakpal had shifted his little kiosk to a main road in Thane’s Panchpakhadi area. Because it stood at a road turning, people affectionately began calling it “Prashant Corner.”
But soon after, a road widening project demolished his stall — and he was back to square one.
Did he give up? Never. His loyal customers came forward to help him. With their support, plus a bank loan and by selling his own house, he managed to buy a small 300-sq ft shop in the same area.
There, he began selling dry fruits and groceries.
Right next door was Khandelwal Mithai, a well-known sweet shop. Prashant often looked at them and thought, “One day, I’ll build something like this too.”
He started small — reselling mithai bought from wholesalers. But when customers complained about the quality, and a mithai maker mocked him saying, “What do you Maharashtrians know about sweets?” — that sting of insult became the spark of transformation.
Becoming a Mithai Maker
Determined to prove himself, Sakpal began learning the art of making mithai. He hired karigars, and from the small kitchen of his home, started creating peda, barfi, and laddoos.
To perfect his craft, he travelled across India — to Delhi, Punjab, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Rajasthan — studying local sweets and learning their secrets.
Finally, in 2000, he opened his first official Prashant Corner mithai shop in Panchpakhadi. It offered about a dozen varieties, including his signature dry fruit mithais and snacks like samosas.
From that moment on, there was no looking back.
By 2009, a second outlet came up in Vasant Vihar, Thane. Today, there are 17 outlets — seven owned and ten franchised — each proudly run under the family’s supervision. With over 200 varieties of mithai, plus a dedicated chaat corner serving sev puri, bhel, pani puri, and pav bhaji, Prashant Corner has become a household name in Thane.
Even Maharashtra’s top leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Raj Thackeray, have visited his flagship store.
Diwali and the Famous ‘Suvarna Mithai’
When asked about the busiest time of year, Sakpal smiles. “Every festival keeps us busy — santra barfi in winter, gajjak for Sankranti, thandai on Holi, aamras in summer — but Diwali is unmatched.”
During those ten festive days, Prashant Corner sells sweets by the tonne — this year aiming for 5,00,000 kg in total sales, including 2,00,000 kg of Kaju Katli and sugar-free sweets.
But the crown jewel of their Diwali menu is the luxurious ‘Suvarna Mithai’, literally meaning Golden Sweet.
It’s crafted from the finest Kashmiri saffron, Mamra almonds, Pishori pistachios, and cardamom — all topped with 24-carat gold leaf. Once priced at Rs 28,000 a kg, it now costs Rs 50,000 a kg, and still, they sell about 500 kg every year, mainly as gifts for VIPs and VVIPs.
The Secret to Success
“The foundation of any business is quality,” Sakpal says firmly. “Never compromise on raw material. Profit and loss can wait.”
To him, success isn’t only about products — it’s about people. “Your staff must be happy, your style must be unique, and you must always improve when you spot a mistake.”
Today, Prashant Corner employs 1,500 people, and Sakpal proudly says, “Staff hai toh hum hai” — “We exist because of our people.”
Running at His Own Pace
Even now, with franchise offers pouring in from across Mumbai and beyond, Sakpal chooses patience over speed.
“People will praise you and lift you to the top,” he says thoughtfully. “But you must look at your slippers and decide how far you can run. If you run too fast, you tire quickly. I prefer to run slowly — but steadily.”
He plans to expand manufacturing with another facility of the same size but says entering Mumbai will happen only when the time — and partner — feels right.
The Next Generation Steps In
Joining him now is his daughter, Aishwarya Sakpal, 28, who officially entered the business two years ago — though her connection began long ago.
“I used to spend my school vacations helping at the shop — packing boxes, selling sweets, talking to customers,” she says with a smile. “That’s where my love for this business began.”
Today, she’s focused on modernising operations, improving packaging, upgrading machinery, and expanding into Mumbai.
“We’ll gauge things better after Diwali,” she adds — her father, as always, listening quietly, letting his actions speak louder than words.
From an eight-year-old boy who delivered milk on a bicycle to the proud owner of a mithai empire — Prashant Sakpal’s life is proof that dreams, when mixed with hard work, humility, and perseverance, can taste as sweet as the finest peda.
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