India's Cheese Revolution: From Dairies to Dining Destinies

Cheese in India has evolved from being a quiet supporting act to becoming one of the most dynamic categories shaping the country's culinary and business identity. Once confined to imported gourmet trays and continental restaurant menus, it has now emerged as a force driving menu innovation, profitability and consumer engagement across the food and hospitality industry.

- Harsha Masand

For years, Indian kitchens knew cheese primarily as paneer or a processed slice in a sandwich. Today, the same kitchens and the discerning consumers they serve have embraced burrata, brie, gouda, feta and a new generation of artisanal Indian cheeses that rival their global counterparts in taste, texture, and storytelling.

This transformation reflects more than changing palates it signifies the rise of a more informed, aspirational, and globally aware Indian diner. Urban consumers are demanding authenticity and craftsmanship; chefs are experimenting with bold crossovers; and suppliers are reimagining logistics to meet rising expectations. Cheese has moved from being a luxury ingredient to becoming a cultural and economic barometer of India's food evolution.

Chef Salil Fadnis, General Manager, Sahara Star, Mumbai, captures this change succinctly: "Shelf life is the only factor that cannot be changed."

His words summarise the new philosophy of Indian dining one that values process as much as product, provenance as much as price highlighting that "Cheeses are natural products, a process one cannot interfere in. Logistics, availability and price can be managed. You pay the price for anything you know the value of.

And if it's a premium product and you pay a premium price, you'll always cherish it." In many ways, the evolution of cheese mirrors India’s broader food story rooted in tradition, shaped by innovation and defined by experience. What began as a peripheral ingredient has become a symbol of refinement, a benchmark for creativity, and a bridge connecting regional dairies to national dreams. That journey—from evolution to significance—sets the stage for understanding why cheese matters so deeply to India’s changing culinary landscape.

Cheese as Philosophy