Restaurant India News: Amara Launches Premium Indian Frozen Dessert Brand in Bengaluru

Bengaluru’s dessert market has a new entrant with the launch of Amara, a premium frozen dessert concept that positions itself around regional Indian recipes and traditional halwai collaborations. The brand has opened its flagship outlet in Indiranagar along with 10 satellite stores across the city, establishing a multi-point presence at launch.

Amara describes itself as India’s first premium frozen dessert brand structured around partnerships with generational halwais. The business model focuses on adapting long-standing regional recipes into contemporary frozen formats, aiming to combine familiarity with scalability.

For years, many Indian cold desserts have remained limited to specific geographies. Meetha paan has been associated with Banaras, Gudbud with Udupi, and chikki with Lonavala. At the same time, the organised premium dessert category has largely been influenced by Western-style ice creams or large-scale confectionery formats. Amara’s proposition is to consolidate region-specific flavours into a single retail platform while retaining their original character.

The company works directly with halwai families who have maintained these recipes across generations. Products are prepared using 100 percent real milk and natural ingredients, with zero preservatives, following traditional preparation techniques adapted for frozen formats.

“We realised there was a clear gap in the premium dessert space,” says Edwin Daniel, Co-founder, Amara, “India has extraordinary regional dessert traditions, but they were either hyper-local or not presented in a contemporary format. We wanted to bring these flavours together on one platform - not as fusion, but as respectful reinterpretations that make them accessible year-round, without losing their authenticity.”

The launch menu includes items such as Meetha Paan Sundae inspired by post-meal paan flavours, Gadibadi based on the Mangalore Gudbud dessert, and Lonavala Salted Caramel Chikki Sundae. The line-up also features a dessert referencing masala chai-soaked Parle-G biscuit, alongside options like Filter Kaapi ice cream, Gulkhand Rose Sundae and Desi Tres Leches. The approach reflects a strategy of converting familiar Indian flavours into premium frozen offerings designed for year-round consumption.

"With the launch of a flagship store and 10 satellite stores, our focus is on reach and accessibility from day one. We wanted Amara to feel premium but approachable - a brand that can scale while staying rooted in authenticity. Bengaluru is the right city to begin this journey; it embraces craft and innovation. This is just the start of building a nationally relevant dessert brand," said Jeff Jose, Co-founder, Amara.

Amara’s launch aligns with increasing consumer demand for artisanal and heritage-driven products. Urban diners are shifting away from mass-produced sweets toward small-batch, ingredient-focused formats that carry regional identity. By establishing a flagship-plus-satellite model from inception, the brand is combining premium positioning with distribution depth, a structure that could support faster city-wide brand recall.

The Indiranagar outlet features design elements inspired by traditional Indian homes, including red oxide flooring and rattan furniture, aligning the physical space with the brand’s heritage-led positioning. As India’s organised dessert sector continues to diversify, Amara’s entry signals a growing opportunity for regionally rooted, format-driven frozen dessert concepts to scale within metropolitan markets.