The queues form after dinner. Families crowd pavements, teenagers sit around on scooters, and ice-cream sellers work at frenetic speed. In a state where prohibition has shaped nightlife, ice cream is the outing of choice. Gujarat is India’s unofficial ice cream capital. It is home to some of India’s most recognisable brands: Amul, Vadilal, Havmor and, more recently, Hocco. But apart from supermarket freezers and corporate success, the ice-cream story here also lives in neighbourhood parlours, family-run businesses, and local flavours.
Across India, the ice-cream market is booming. According to market research company Research and Markets, the sector—valued at ₹312.76 billion in 2025—is projected to touch ₹1.19 trillion by 2034, driven by rising disposable incomes, urbanisation, and demand for premium frozen desserts. “Per capita ice cream consumption in India has increased substantially,” says Sudhir Shah, president of the Indian Ice-cream Manufacturer’s Association (IICMA). “In 2011, it was 400ml. Now, it is 1.6 litres per person. In Gujarat, the per capita consumption will be more than 3 litres.”
The reasons? Gujarat’s long summers and strong dairy infrastructure created perfect conditions for businesses. Reliable electricity allowed cold-chain networks to flourish, even as culture played an important role. “Gujaratis love their meetha,” says Ankit Chona, founder of Hocco Ice Creams. “The weather is conducive: hot 10 out of 12 months. And then the state has prohibition. So instead of going out for a drink to a bar, people here go out for ice cream. It’s a family thing, a cultural thing.”
Ahmedabad, in particular, treats ice cream as part of everyday life rather than an occasional indulgence. College student Akansha Grewal lines up for ice cream every summer night with her friends and/or family. “It’s a ritual, and we end up going to different outlets, big and small. We like to try new flavours at the neighbourhood parlours, and often come for takeaway—to be eaten at home the next day,” she says.
“Consumption here is driven by habit, community and tradition rather than just weather,” says Himanshu Kanwar, CEO of Vadilal Industries. “From family outings to post-dinner rituals, ice cream is deeply woven into the city’s lifestyle.”
That culture produced some of India’s oldest ice-cream companies. Havmor traces its roots to Karachi before Partition forced the Chona family to rebuild in Ahmedabad, eventually creating one of India’s most beloved brands. Vadilal began in Ahmedabad in 1907 as a small soda business before evolving into one of the country’s biggest ice-cream brands, which now exports to 45 countries and sells more than 200 flavours. “Regional flavours remain core to Vadilal’s portfolio,” Kanwar says. “Classics like kesar pista, rajbhog and cassata continue to drive strong family consumption.”
The first company to launch cassata in India, Vadilal also has a regional flavour range and its matka kulfi commands deep loyalty. “(We) connect with younger consumers through premium formats, innovative flavours, and modern retail channels,” Kanwar says.
The balancing act between nostalgia and novelty defines Gujarat’s ice-cream scene. Chona knows this well. After Havmor was sold to South Korean conglomerate Lotte in 2017 for ₹1,020 crore, he launched a new venture, Hocco Ice Creams, in 2023.
“Hocco is now India’s fastest-growing food business,” Chona says. “We sell 2-2.5 lakh litres of ice cream every day and are on track in the third year to do ₹1,000 crore in revenue in FY27.” Its success rests partly on relentless experimentation. “Flavours like chocolate and strawberry will always sell, but we have unique offerings such as Aamchi, Oh Cone and Limo, which are our highest sellers, ” says Chona.
The mango-shaped Aamchi went viral online last summer; the lemon-shaped Limo quickly followed. At Hocco’s Huber & Holly parlours, flavours like mango yuzu and strawberry matcha draw younger consumers. “The citrus of the yuzu perfectly offsets the sweetness of the mango in the first,” says Deval Desai, a college student. “When it comes to strawberry matcha, the juicy and sweet strawberry flavour complements the earthiness of matcha.”
But Gujarat’s fascination with unusual flavours predates Instagram trends by decades. Meetha paan, guava chilli, variali (saunf), pineapple cheese, gulkand, elaichi chai, and filter kaapi have shared menu space with vanilla and chocolate for years—and they’re available in many neighbourhood stores.
The state’s ice-cream culture survives not just because of giant brands, but also because smaller local businesses thrive alongside. “Local brands and kulfi shops operate in their own space and boost the overall ice cream-eating market,” Chona says. “They tend to innovate much more, with seasonal offerings and flavours targeting the local palate.”
Classic Derani Jethani Ice Cream in Ahmedabad is one such example. Started in 1986 by sisters-in-law Pinky Soni and Rupal Soni, the parlour has built a devoted following around varied flavours: rose coconut, mausambi, variali, paan, and badam. “You don’t go there for standard flavours,” says architect Arundhati Dutta, 51, a regular customer. “You go because nowhere else tastes quite like this. Tender coconut is common, but a combination with rose uplifts it. Variali and paan are traditionally eaten after the meal, so enjoying them as ice creams offers a unique experience.”
Across Ahmedabad, neighbourhood favourites like Jaysing’s Ice Cream, Shree Janta Ice Cream, Patel Ice Cream, Rajasthan Ice Cream, and Prem Mewad Ice Cream thrive without national expansion, relying instead on repeat customers and word of mouth. In Vadodara, nostalgia arrives by the scoop at Samrat Ice Cream, where regulars still order the old-school “full vanilla”, a peach-tinted double scoop that generations grew up eating during summer vacations.
Elsewhere across Gujarat, local loyalties remain fierce. Amreli’s Sheetal Ice Cream is known for fruit flavours like Hapus and jamun. Surat residents swear by the faloodas at 51 Rainbow Ice Cream. Rajkot loves Khushboo Ice Cream’s famed Taj Mahal flavour. In Halvad, United Farmers Creamery has carved out a niche for artisanal A2 milk ice creams made from farm-fresh ingredients. “Ice cream (here) is more than a dessert; it’s part of the social fabric,” Kanwar says.
What makes Gujarat’s ice-cream culture remarkable is the ease with which big brands and local parlours coexist, feeding the state’s appetite for dessert and ritual. Which is why every evening, across the state, people gather over an ice cream—or two.
Teja Lele writes on travel and lifestyle.