"We are also coming up with 100 ml cups, which will give a direct competition to brands like Havmor, Amul and Mother Diary"

It was in year 1944 when Dorothy Morgan and Donald Watson coined the term "vegan" and they co-founded the Vegan Society in the UK. At first, they used it to mean "non-dairy vegetarian." However, by May 1945, vegans explicitly abstained from "eggs, honey; and animals' milk, butter and cheese". And, today veganism has become a new fad with more and more people turning into a more eco-friendly, healthy lifestyle.

“Being vegan is a choice of choosing food groups such as non dairy, no meats and avoiding using animal products. It’s a lifestyle change and a choice which any individual makes. However healthier options are a generic term to anything which you eat which is non-processed,” shared Rahul Kamra, Founder, Ketorets.

There are a lot of studies and research that link a vegan lifestyle to better heart health, reversal of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension and so on. Since a vegan diet primarily consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts & whole grains the health benefits are plentiful. As these foods offer fibre, antioxidants and essential nutrients. Today, veganism has become a lifestyle and is gaining momentum every single day. People are becoming more conscious of their health, they want to try new things that not only show results but are also sustainable for themselves and the environment.

“Health enthusiasts advocate that vegan ice creams are higher in protein content and rich in omega oils, fibre and essential fatty acids. In short, nutritious. With vegan ice cream, you can have a sweet tooth and be in the pink of health too,” pointed Taranjit Singh, Founder, Giani Icecreams by adding that studies show that vegans have better heart health and lower odds of having certain diseases.

Rise of vegan ice cream brands

There has been a conscientious shift in the way people approach their food. Ice-cream has not been an exception to this. People have always thought vegan ice cream as boring and bland but in last few years there has been lots of experiments to make ice cream more creamy and with different flavours, all thanks to all new artisanal brands and products available in the market.

“Vegan food products have come a long way. There is significant R&D being conducted all over the world in developing vegan offerings. We feel they often taste just as good as or better than its dairy alternative,” shared Ashni and Varun Sheth, co-founders of NOTO that is planning to launch vegan variants of Noto pops soon.

Driven by popularity and flavours

Vegan Ice-creams primarily have nut milk like almond or coconut milk as the main base. The milk protein which is essential in giving ice cream its texture needs to be replaced, so Nut proteins such as almond, cashew are often used. Soy, Pea & Rice Protein is the other popular sources that are also used.

“Our vegan chocolate ice-cream, vegan mango passion fruit ice-cream, snicker doodle ice-cream and vegan salted caramel brownie fudge ice-cream are top favourites among customers,” said Vidisha Bathwal, Founder, Paprika Gourmet by adding that being vegan is a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, whether for food, clothing or any other purpose.The world is slowly changing, which in a way is pushing us to be more mindful of what we eat and what its source is. It’s a breath of fresh air to see more and more Kolkatians adapting to this lifestyle, becoming increasingly conscious of their health and the environment.

Whereas, Hangyo’s vegan variants come in packs of 125ml and 500ml that are priced at Rs 50 and Rs 200 respectively that is both cholesterol free and rich in protein (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and arginine).

Way Ahead

“Veganism is still picking up in India, there’s a lot of potential and it’s a developing segment. It’s definitely here to stay,” added Sheths.

Similarly, Pradeep G Pai, Managing Director of Hangyo Ice creams Pvt Ltd believed that vegan delicacies are also in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan - Make in India. Vegan ice-cream globally is driven by the simple market dynamics of increasing number of vegetarian and diet conscious people. Another facet for this growth, according to research is lactose intolerance in a section of the population, who stay from dairy products due to the inherent nature in which their intestines work. Lack of intestinal catalyst lactase keeps this section of foodies away from dairy products or veggie foods. Global market leaders in ice-cream industry recognizing this have diversified their business to tap in to the needs of a new growing set of clientele that is hypersensitive to dairy items.

Franchise India's International Arm FranGlobal brings Ice Cream Lab to India. Ice Cream Lab is an innovative International concept originated in California, USA, in 2013. The brand plans to open 100 stores in the next three years and soon will be launching its first outlet in Hyderabad. Ice Cream Lab is known for its innovative way of making made-to-order ice cream right in front of the customers in a minute’s time, using liquid nitrogen. Their freshest ice cream is made of the all-natural ice cream base which is free of additives, preservatives and low sugar.

Introducing Healthy Ice Cream in Indian Market

Vikrant Tomer, Advisory Board Member, says, “As Mark Zuckerberg said, the biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. Many F&B brands normally get scared to enter the Indian Market due to its vastness, diversity and change of taste over every 2 km. We as Ice Cream Lab, consider it as a great opportunity to come up with a product line which satisfies the taste buds of every customer, yet ensure they are eating healthy ice cream.”

The Ice Cream Lab's idea revolves around the molecular gastronomy freezing concept, using liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze fresh ingredients into ice cream. We fulfil customer’s desires and prepare each cup of ice cream in front of the customer’s eye, it is a very theatrical experience to see the ice cream-making process, where the liquid nitrogen flows into the bowl of organic ice cream base mix and expands in the air, leaving behind the fresh ice cream. The brand offers 16 signature flavours which are universally liked by most of the customers after proper R & D, which takes place time to time and help in developing a product suitable to the local geographies and taste buds of people from that location. 

Sachin Pradhan, Operations Director, says “Ice cream is just a perfect thing. People have an emotional response to ice cream; it's more than just food. It’s never heavy or light on your stomach; it is the perfect combination of caring and eating. It helps you to reduce stress; it stimulates your brain and helps to maintain your metabolism.” 

“India is full of brilliance, innovation, and creativity and there are plenty of creative ice-cream makers available in India. On the other hand, India has the highest population in the world. This also means that there is still a lot of space for more and more creative makers to introduce more and more innovative brands. We are not here to compete with any brand, as customers are the best judges. They are very clear about their choices and what they want. The molecular gastronomy freezing concept, using liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze all fresh natural cream base using our own secret formula in to the ice cream, it is a theatrical experience to see the ice cream making process, where the liquid nitrogen flows into the bowl of Organic ice cream base mix and expands in air like smoke and evaporates in front of customer's eyes, leaving behind the fresh ice cream,” he added.

Ice Cream Industry in India

Gaurav Marya, Chairman, Franchise India, says, “We are ecstatic to welcome UAE’s Ice Cream Brand in India.  Ice Creams have become the modern version of dessert welcomed by all age group of people. On the basis of product, the global ice cream market can be segmented into impulse ice cream, take-home and artisanal ice creams. Furthermore, India is the largest producer of milk, accounts for over 1/5th of global milk production, thereby, offering a large volume of raw material for domestic manufacturing of ice creams. The ice cream market is projected to generate revenue of approximately USD 3.4 billion by 2021. Indian ice cream industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the dairy or food processing industry. Revenue in the Ice Cream segment amounts to US$635m in 2019. The market is expected to grow annually by 11.8% (CAGR 2019-2021).” 

Rashed Hareb, the Managing Partner, says, “As a child, my love for ice cream emerged and it has never left me nor it will ever leave me. I am determined to make Ice Cream Lab the most preferred global choice of Ice Cream, loved by people from all walks of life.”

Rashid Alshaali, Partner, says, “A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all. Any sweet products such as Ice Cream will always remain in demand, People eat Ice Cream when they are sad, when they are stressed and when they want to celebrate and enjoy, its everlasting business.” 

Expansion Plan for Ice Cream Lab in India

Venus Barak, CEO, FranGlobal, says, “We have a massive expansion plan for ICL in India. Indian market today is one of the most matured markets in the world that is why a partnership has been formed between FranGlobal and ICL to really bring the best ice cream, best flavours, best quality to Indian Consumers. We already have started building the brand, we will make this product accessible to Indian Consumers by opening stores in Malls, High Streets, Corporate Locations, Airport, Train stations and ICL’s first store will be opening in Hyderabad soon. As exclusive Franchise development and management partners for ICL, we will bring in the efficiency of franchise model in Frozen dessert business to ICL and scale it. This brand is offering a quality shift from Frozen Dessert to the freshest ice cream option, which no other brand is offering.”