For decades, ice cream in India was picked up from a neighbourhood freezer, consumed on the way home or ordered alongside a meal. Today, that habit is changing. More people are choosing where to have it, what flavour to try and how much of an experience they want around the scoop as they sit and relax in the neighbourhood ‘ice cream bar’.
Such ice cream bars, along with artisanal gelaterias and destination-led parlours, are turning an impulse-driven category into an experience. The evolution is visible across the segment, from established names to newer concepts.
Jaatre, for instance, integrates the dessert into an outlet-cum-restaurant experience. The ice-cream brand, which claims to be homemade and 100% vegan, is served at Carnatic Cafe outlets across Delhi-NCR. As a separate standalone setup in addition to being served inside Carnatic Cafe, Jaatre revolves around the ‘farm-to-scoop’ concept, with its products served in upcycled, scraped coconut shells with wooden spoons, while larger take-home orders are packed in biodegradable terracotta tubs that help naturally retain the cold temperature.
At the premium end, Scoop Room is attempting to portray ice cream in a new light. “We’ve become curious consumers in almost every category,” says founder Pallavii Gupta, adding: “People want to understand how their coffee is roasted or how chocolate is sourced. But very few people have ever been encouraged to think about ice cream in the same way.”
Opened in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar in August, with plans for two more outlets this year and a pan-India expansion by 2028, Scoop Room has 24 flavours, such as cookie dough hour, paan-tastic, pick me avo and nutty basil. Its waffle cones and sauces are made in-house.
That curiosity is also reshaping what consumers expect from an ice cream outlet. Scoop Room is designed as a youthful neighbourhood destination with accents of neon green, pink, yellow and silver, while vintage telephones and dedicated scoop corners are part of the physical space. It also features a pet-friendly outdoor area, encouraging people to enjoy a scoop with family and friends.
Flavours & formats
At Zimero, Chef De Cuisine Sumant Bhargava identifies three trends shaping India’s new ice-cream bars: bold flavours and formats, cleaner ingredients, and the way the product is served.
“Indian consumers are seeking experiences over products,” says Bhargava, adding: “Whether it’s flavours or formats like cake slices, cookies and gelatos, consumers want something different. Then there are clean ingredients like real chocolate, no added colours or flavours, and finally, how the ice cream is served. Cones, cookie cones, bubble cones, toppings, even gold leaf, anything that gives joy.”
Zimero’s offerings reflect that appetite for experimentation. With stores in Connaught Place and Gurugram, and 22 dark stores across Delhi-NCR and other key cities, the brand offers formats including sundaes, cakes and cookie cones, alongside flavours such as wild cherry, goat cheese and blueberry, south Indian filter coffee and dark chocolate pistachio. Sugar-free and lower-calorie options are gaining traction too, although Bhargava sees them as serving a different need from the indulgent ice cream bar experience.
“Q-commerce is growing exponentially and addresses impulse and low-value consumption. Ice cream bars, on the other hand, offer experience and significantly premium products,” he says.
Ice cream bars are not confined to emerging premium brands. Large established players are also expanding the role of the physical outlet. Naturals Ice Cream, the homegrown brand, started with one store in Juhu in 1984 and has today grown to 170 outlets across the country. While classics like sitaphal, tender coconut and alphonso mango continue to be customer favourites, the brand has also been experimenting with newer formats through Naturals NOW, its experiential offshoot launched in 2019. It serves not only their speciality scoops of natural ice cream flavours but also sundaes and milkshakes, including freshly churned daily flavours such as tadgola (ice apple) and sitaphal sundaes, mudslide, baklava sundaes, premium shakes and more.
Meanwhile, Baskin-Robbins India says consumers increasingly want to spend time with the product rather than simply take it away. “It’s no longer just about a quick takeaway, but an experience they want to sit back and savour,” says Mohit Khattar, CEO, Graviss Foods, the master franchisee for Baskin-Robbins in India. The company operates more than 1,100 standalone parlours across over 300 cities in India and the SAARC region, and adds around 100-120 stores annually. Its parlours are becoming broader dessert destinations, extending beyond its signature 31 flavours to sundaes, shakes, cheesecakes, brownies, muffins, ice cream cakes and seasonal specials.
Immersive engagement
Specialist players see potential in the dedicated premium ice cream format. “Ice cream in India is moving beyond being an impulse purchase or a seasonal dessert. Consumers are looking for experiential food formats, and exclusive ice cream outlets are creating an opportunity for brands to engage with consumers in a much more immersive way,” says Suhas B Shetty, founder and CEO of Iceberg Organic Ice Creams, which currently has nine outlets across Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Vijayawada.
Shetty says the company plans to add six stores in south India by the end of the current financial year, while entering q-comm and modern trade. It also plans to take the brand beyond south India into Mumbai, Delhi and Pune soon.
Meanwhile, Walko Food Company, which operates NIC Ice Creams, Grameen Kulfi and Mimo Ice Creams, and manages popular frozen dessert and ice cream brands across India, is continuously scaling its retail. It has expanded into over 21 stores and a few to be launched soon.
Shamika Erande, AGM, marketing, Walko Food Company, says, “Since parlours are a capex investment heavy channel, with investments depending on the size, location and operation type like a standalone parlour or experience centre, we are looking to expand our reach in tier 1-2 cities and highway mall locations which have high traffic of audience with disposable income looking for upgraded lifestyle experiences. We also plan to expand the premium brand’s positioning (NIC Honestly Crafted Ice Creams) and attract innovative ice cream (with Mimo Ice Creams) to a more accessible, wider and value seeking consumer base.”