The big scoop on Gujarat's ice-cream culture

From legacy giants to artisanal brands, Gujarat's love affair with ice cream is anything but vanilla

- Teja Lele

The queues form after dinner. Families crowd pavements, teenagers sit around on scooters, and ice-cream sellers work at frenetic speed.

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 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.”