Natural Ice Cream
Natural Ice Cream, also marketed as Naturals, is an Indian ice-cream brand founded in Mumbai in 1984 and known for fruit- and ingredient-led flavours.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Natural Ice Cream is an Indian ice-cream brand operated by Mumbai-based Kamaths Ourtimes Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd. and retailed through the group’s subsidiary, Kamaths Natural Retail Pvt. Ltd. The business began in 1984, when founder Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath opened the first Natural Ice Cream store in Mumbai. From its initial range of roughly ten flavours, the brand developed a substantially broader portfolio, with about 125 flavour options reported across its history. Approximately 20 flavours are available throughout the year, while the remainder are rotated according to ingredient availability and seasonality. The brand’s product identity is built around fruit, nuts, and other recognisable ingredients rather than a highly standardised, permanently fixed menu. Seasonal examples reported for the range include litchi, fig, jackfruit, muskmelon, watermelon, and custard apple. This approach gives the retail experience a changing calendar of flavours and links the brand closely to Indian produce and local taste preferences. Natural Ice Cream has also used experiential retail to reinforce its production-led positioning. A concept store called Naturals Now was introduced in Juhu two years after the company’s foundation and served freshly churned ice cream directly from the churner. Manufacturing is concentrated at the company’s production facility in Charkop, in Mumbai’s Kandivali area. The facility supplies the stores daily. Retail distribution has combined company-owned and franchised outlets: as of April 2022, the chain was reported to have 18 directly owned stores and 119 franchised stores across 11 states and the Delhi National Capital Region. The reported footprint included Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi NCR. Natural Ice Cream has historically relied heavily on word of mouth and store-level customer experience rather than large advertising expenditure. The reference material states that advertising expenditure was below one percent of sales revenue. In 2017, the brand undertook a rebranding exercise and adopted the “Taste the Original” tagline. The effort was intended to distinguish Natural Ice Cream from similarly named businesses and reinforce the brand’s established identity. The company has received recognition in food, retail, service, and innovation categories. These include a 2006 National SME’s Excellence Award from Corporation Bank, a 2013 customer-service retail award, recognition for an innovative cucumber flavour at the 2014 Great Indian Ice Cream Contest, and food-service and dessert-parlour honours in 2016. A Juhu store was also associated with a 3,000-kilogram ice-cream slab listed in the Limca Book of Records in 2009. The business remained active in the 2020s, with reported retail turnover of ₹374 crore in financial year 2024, compared with ₹115 crore in 2015. Those figures describe retail turnover rather than necessarily the company’s accounting revenue.
History
Natural Ice Cream was established in Mumbai in 1984 by Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath, who opened the brand’s first store there. The business developed under Kamaths Ourtimes Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd., with manufacturing handled by that company and retailing conducted through Kamaths Natural Retail Pvt. Ltd. Its early identity was closely connected to a relatively focused selection of ice creams made around recognisable ingredients and fruit flavours. Within two years of its foundation, the company added an experiential retail format in Juhu called Naturals Now. The concept presented freshly churned ice cream directly from the churner, giving customers a closer connection to the preparation process. This format reflected a broader brand emphasis on freshness and an in-store experience rather than only packaged distribution. The range expanded over time from approximately ten flavours to around 125 options. The menu has not been entirely static: roughly 20 flavours are offered year-round, while other varieties appear seasonally. Reported examples include litchi, fig, jackfruit, muskmelon, watermelon, and custard apple. The use of seasonal produce has been an important part of the brand’s product character, allowing the selection to change during the year and differentiating the chain from ice-cream menus based on a small permanent set of flavours. A cucumber flavour received innovation recognition in 2014. Manufacturing has remained concentrated at a facility in Charkop, a suburb of Kandivali in Mumbai. The company reportedly supplies its outlets each day from this facility. This centralised production and daily supply model supports a retail network in which stores sell directly to consumers through branded parlours. By April 2022, the network comprised 18 directly owned stores and 119 franchised stores across 11 states and Delhi NCR. The reported states were Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, together with the Delhi NCR market. The company has generally relied on word of mouth and customer experience rather than extensive paid advertising. Reference material states that advertising expenditure was less than one percent of sales revenue. This low-advertising approach was supported by the brand’s store network, its changing seasonal range, and the distinctiveness of its fruit-oriented flavours. Natural Ice Cream received several recognitions as it expanded. In 2006, it received Corporation Bank’s National SME’s Excellence Award in the Food and Agro Industry. In 2009, a Juhu store was associated with a 3,000-kilogram ice-cream slab recorded in the Limca Book of Records. The business later received customer-service recognition in 2013, a gold medal for its cucumber flavour at the 2014 Great Indian Ice Cream Contest, and food-service and dessert-parlour awards in 2016. It was also identified among India’s top ten brands for customer experience in a KPMG survey. In 2017, the brand undertook a rebranding exercise and introduced the “Taste the Original” tagline. The initiative was intended to protect and clarify the brand identity as similarly named ice-cream businesses appeared in the market. In the 2020s, Natural Ice Cream continued operating as an active Indian retail chain. Reported retail turnover rose from ₹115 crore in 2015 to ₹374 crore in financial year 2024. The reported figures are retail turnover figures and should not be treated as a complete disclosure of corporate revenue or profit.
- 2024
Reported retail turnover reached ₹374 crore
[1]The brand’s reported retail turnover for financial year 2024 was ₹374 crore, up from ₹115 crore in 2015.
- 2022
Reported network reached 137 stores
[1]As of April, the chain was reported to have 18 directly owned outlets and 119 franchised outlets across its Indian markets.
- 2017
“Taste the Original” rebranding
[1]The company introduced a new brand platform and tagline intended to distinguish Natural Ice Cream from similarly named businesses.
- 2016
Food-service and dessert-parlour awards
[1]The brand received Coca-Cola Golden Spoon recognition for a home-grown food-service concept and an IMAGES award in the ice-cream and dessert-parlour category.
- 2014
Cucumber flavour wins innovation recognition
[1]The brand received a gold medal for most innovative ice-cream flavour for its cucumber offering at the Great Indian Ice Cream Contest.
- 2013
Customer-service retail recognition
[1]Natural Ice Cream received recognition as Best in Customer Service in the Regional Retailer of the Year awards.
- 2009
3,000-kilogram ice-cream slab recognised
[1]A Juhu outlet was associated with a 3,000-kilogram ice-cream slab listed in the Limca Book of Records.
- 2006
National SME’s Excellence Award
[1]The brand received Corporation Bank’s National SME’s Excellence Award in the Food and Agro Industry.
- 1986
Naturals Now experiential store introduced
[1]Two years after the company was founded, the Juhu Naturals Now concept offered freshly churned ice cream directly from the churner.
- 1984
First Natural Ice Cream store opens in Mumbai
[1]Founder Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath established the brand and opened its first store in Mumbai.
Products and positioning
An Indian, ingredient-led ice-cream retailer positioned around fruit-forward flavours, seasonality, freshness, and a recognisable Mumbai-origin brand identity. Its retail model combines company-owned and franchised stores, while its marketing has historically emphasised word of mouth and customer experience.
Ice cream
Fruit-based ice creams
Fruit-based ice creams are central to Natural Ice Cream’s identity. The brand’s reported range includes flavours built around Indian and seasonal fruits such as litchi, fig, jackfruit, muskmelon, watermelon, and custard apple. Availability changes through the year, allowing the menu to reflect seasonal produce rather than remaining limited to a fixed set of flavours.
Ice cream
Year-round flavours
Alongside seasonal products, Natural Ice Cream maintains a core group of approximately 20 flavours available throughout the year. These permanent offerings provide consistency across the chain while the wider menu changes with the seasons. The available reference material does not specify the complete year-round flavour list.
Innovative flavour · 2014
Cucumber ice cream
Cucumber ice cream is an unusual ingredient-led flavour associated with Natural Ice Cream’s innovation programme. It received a gold medal for most innovative ice-cream flavour at the 2014 Great Indian Ice Cream Contest, giving the product recognition beyond the brand’s regular retail activity.
Experiential retail offering · 1986
Naturals Now freshly churned ice cream
Naturals Now was an experiential store concept introduced in Juhu within two years of the company’s founding. It served freshly churned ice cream directly from the churner, making preparation and freshness part of the customer experience. The source material does not establish the current operating status of this specific concept.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Taste the Original
India
Natural Ice Cream carried out a rebranding effort centred on the “Taste the Original” tagline. The stated purpose was to distinguish the established brand from similarly named ice-cream businesses appearing in the market.
Outcome. The tagline became part of the brand’s identity and positioned the business around originality and established provenance.
Brand decisions
2017
Rebrand around “Taste the Original”StrategyBackground
The company reported a need to distinguish Natural Ice Cream from similar names entering the market.
Action taken
It introduced the “Taste the Original” tagline as part of a broader rebranding effort.
Aftermath
The initiative reinforced the brand’s differentiation and original-brand positioning.
1986
Launch of the Naturals Now concept storeProduct launchBackground
The company sought to make the preparation and freshness of its ice cream part of the retail experience.
Action taken
It introduced a Juhu store serving freshly churned ice cream directly from the churner.
Aftermath
The concept added an experiential dimension to the brand’s store-based retail model.
Recent events
- 2024
Natural Ice Cream reported retail turnover of ₹374 crore in financial year 2024[1]
Other
The brand was reported to have recorded retail turnover of ₹374 crore in financial year 2024, compared with ₹115 crore in 2015.
- 2022
Natural Ice Cream operated a mixed company-owned and franchise network[1]
Other
As of April 2022, the chain was reported to have 18 directly owned stores and 119 franchised stores across 11 states and Delhi NCR.
- 2017
Natural Ice Cream introduced the “Taste the Original” brand platform[1]
Campaign
A rebranding effort introduced the “Taste the Original” tagline to differentiate the brand from similarly named competitors.
Sources1 sources
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