WOW STORY OF THE DAY Scooping Out Success: How Naturals Ice Cream Chilled the Competition and Stirred Up a ₹300 Cr Brand Without Ads

Naturals Ice Cream, born in a small Mumbai shop in 1984, has redefined India’s dessert landscape—eschewing advertising and franchising, yet scaling to over ₹300 crore in manufacturing turnover. This iconic brand’s rise is a textbook lesson in disciplined expansion, product purity, and the enduring power of word-of-mouth.

 

Origins and Brand Philosophy

 

• Naturals was founded by Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath with a single, radical idea: use only milk, fresh fruit, and sugar—no artificial flavors or preservatives. Flavors are hyperlocal and seasonal, with real fruit setting it apart in an industry dominated by synthetic additives.
 

• The brand famously built its reputation on customer recommendations, never spending on traditional advertising. Queues outside stores and viral social media posts did more than any marketing budget could.

 

Scaling Up, Without Franchises

 

• Naturals chose a slow-burn approach, operating company-owned stores to ensure strict quality control and preserve its brand mystique. As of mid-2025, the company operates 170+ stores across 15 states, targeting 200 by year’s end and eyeing 300 within three years.
 

• Expansion is focused on metro and tier-2 cities, with Chennai and Lucknow among new destinations. The company upgrades its parlors for consistency in customer experience, shunning the risks of uncontrolled franchising.

 

Innovation and Product-First Thinking

 

• Product development is rooted in regional and seasonal tastes—think jackfruit in Konkan or kubani in Hyderabad—regularly debuting new flavors to suit local palates. Sorbets, vegan options, and sugar substitutes are work-in-progress, broadening appeal without abandoning its quality-first ethos.
 

• Naturals’ biggest sales season, April to June, drives up to 40% of annual revenue and helps fuel a year-on-year growth target of 25–30%.

 

Financials and Outlook

 

• Manufacturing turnover for FY25 stands at ₹320 crore, with gross retail sales around ₹600 crore and aspirations for ₹500 crore in revenue by FY27.

• The company is investing in scaling production, modernizing stores, and tapping the surge of quick commerce and home delivery—changes that further energize its grassroots legacy without sacrificing identity.
 

Naturals stands out as a masterclass in organic growth. Its journey is proof that restraint, authenticity, and obsession over product can fuel long-term success, even in India’s competitive frozen dessert market.

 

Sources: Agron Food Processing, India Retailing, CNBC TV18