-Vishakha Goswami (cbedit@imaws.org
India’s ice-cream market has reached a value of INR 201.4 B in 2020 according to a report by Expert Market Research. It is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 14% in the coming years. “Ice cream is happiness condensed,” said Jessi Lane Adams and the fact is everyone loves a scoop of ice cream. In India, ice cream is one of the most widely consumed desserts across all age groups and geographies. Over the years the market has witnessed the growth momentum from selling ice cream in small retail outlets/kiosks to premium parlours and those bigger conglomerates.
“The best time for ice cream is always” believes Mr Arun Ramani, Director, Ramani Ice Cream Company Limited which markets ice cream under the name Top N Town. Started by Balchand Kukreja, ‘Top N Town’ is serving the magic scoops for 53 years now. The foundation of central India’s most popular Ice-cream brand was laid in the year 1969, tasted its first scoop of success in 1988 by setting up a production unit of capacity of 3000 litres per day in Bhopal. Slowly but steadily they revolutionised the ice cream market by reaching almost every household of central India.
The brand’s diverse portfolio and affordability for consumers across all economic groups without compromising on quality is its USP. They always focused on ensuring that the product should be reached to everyone. Better road connectivity & electricity are the two fundamental requirements for an Ice Cream business. The improvements in cold-chain infrastructure, including temperature-controlled storage spaces, procurement of trained, operational and servicing personnel etc. are the fuel for running and growing the business. The logistics and cold-chain supply across rural hinterland are driving availability and demand for Ice Cream in rural India.”, said Arun Ramani, Director, of the company.
Speaking further on the driving factors for the ice-cream business in Central India, Arun feels that in terms of urban India’s consumption habits, due to the pandemic, home consumption has significantly increased. Another interesting development is that the purchasing destination of the consumer is shifting from retail outlets to online, we witnessed this trend that consumers are now ordering Ice creams via online marketplaces in the last year.
Marketing and Manufacturing During the pandemic :
Ramani Ice Cream had tried to ensure a more contemporary packaging design across their portfolio and had also upgraded SKUs by launching and deactivating some to cope with the changing times. In advertising, they had been active on social media platforms and consistently churning out drool-worthy content which consumers appreciate.
“Our brand now stands as a national player in the ice cream industry with its path-breaking innovations and strategic associations. We have a strong presence across eight states i.e., Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. ”, he said further adding: With our motive and commitment to providing fresh and quality products we have two manufacturing plants one in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) and another in Durg (Chhattisgarh).
Technologies and Moving Ahead:
“The new technologies we are using are focused on ensuring the cold chain required for maintaining the quality of products, from the customer’s pick-up point to the supply chain in between. Secondly, technology assists us in ensuring that all our SKUs are available for the customers anywhere and anytime.
“Today, India is the country of opportunities, and I am immensely proud that so many global players recognise the Indian dream and want to be a part of it. When it comes to customer retention, the answer is the same for every company in every category: whoever serves the customer the best will succeed in this infinite game.”, he said.
Concluding on the vegan ice creams and new flavours, Arun avered, that raise of social media, consumers today have a wide range of aspirations and brands are expected to bridge the gaps. “When we are launching new items we see to that it always exceeds customer expectations. They [customers] may not know what they want before tasting the ice cream. The only vegan items in our portfolio currently are our Ice Candies as they’re naturally vegan. “ , he recalled.
‘Top N Town’ also has vegan Ice creams, which are fast-moving. The Bhopal based leader is also looking at exploring e-commerce routes to meet these new consumer demands.
