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Indian ice cream sector yet to carve niche in export & domestic market
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Saturday, 20 September, 2014, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Harcha Bhaskar, Mumbai
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fiogf49gjkf0d In India, ice cream is yet to carve a niche in exports or even domestic consumption. This was one of the points discussed at the fourth Indian Ice Cream Congress, which was organised by the Indian Ice Cream Manufacturers’ Association (IICMA) and Aim Events, and concluded at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, on Friday, September 19, 2014.
The two-day event, which commenced on September 18, focussed on the 360 degree aspect of ice cream, from cow to cone. While the inaugural day was dedicated to the annual general meeting (AGM), and an entertainment programme, the formal inauguration of the event and a series of knowledge-based seminars and discussions took place on the second day.
Firoz H Naqvi, director, Aim Events, informed that over two days, the exhibition had 48 exhibitors, and a footfall of approximately10,000. Present at the inauguration, a lamp was lit by Sudhir Shah, secretary, IICMA, and director, Scoops Ice Creams; guest of honour Dinesh Waghmare, managing director, Maharashtra Agro Industries Development Corporation (MAIDC), and Kirit Somaiya, Member of Parliament, Mumbai.
Somaiya shared a memory from his childhood. “There were only two ice cream players then (viz. Joy and Kwality), and only two flavours were available (namely, chocolate and vanilla).” He added, “We should put in efforts to ensure that India should be among the top five producers and exporters of ice cream at the global level.” He urged manufacturers to take constructive steps to enable the dream in next ten years.
Speaking about Maharashtra, Waghmare said, “There are a number of facilities that manufacture. They can leverage the fact that the state is the sixth largest producer of milk and the number one livestock producer in the country. Milk is the main ingredient used in the manufacture of ice cream. Moreover, with the huge production of strawberries and other fruit, entrepreneurs can leverage it to make natural ice cream.”
Currently, the western and northern regions consume 72-75 per cent of the ice cream consumed in the country. Pradeep Chona, managing director, Havmor Ice Cream Ltd, welcomed the members. In his opening remarks about the event, he said, “The ice cream industry in India is growing at a fast pace, and has lot of growth opportunities in the coming years.”
“As a member of the association and a face of the Indian ice cream industry, IICMA would, from now onwards, be celebrating the second Sunday of April as Ice Cream Day, and would initiate advertisements about ice cream, both as a industry and a product.. Through such celebrations, we would be promoting ice cream, and clearing consumers’ myths about the product,” he added.
G Chandrasekhar, commodities editor, The Hindu Business Line, was a speaker at the inaugural function. He said, “People today are becoming less price-conscious and more health-conscious. India, being the diabetic capital, should witness the launch of products that are safe for consumption by diabetics and obese people.” He also urged people to comply with food safety, though cold chains, storage and logistics still remained challenges to be addressed.
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