India’s ice cream brands are riding an unusual double tailwind this summer, an early onset of heat and a consumer base that is actively trading up to healthier, premium frozen desserts.
From protein-packed scoops to zero-sugar tubs, the guilt-free segment is no longer a fringe play. It is fast becoming a meaningful slice of the freezer aisle, with start-ups and legacy brands alike recalibrating their summer playbooks around it.
The shift is showing up most sharply on quick commerce platforms, where ice cream has found an unlikely spiritual home. Impulse-driven, instant-gratification-seeking, and heat-sensitive, the category is near-perfectly suited to 10-minute delivery. NOTO founder Varun Sheth says the numbers bear this out. “Ice cream sales on quick commerce platforms have grown between 70 per cent and 100 per cent year-on-year,” he said, attributing the surge to both better distribution and stronger backend infrastructure. More tellingly, Sheth estimates that nearly 20 per cent of quick commerce ice cream sales are now coming from the guilt-free segment. “What was a very small category two years ago is now being taken seriously by both start-ups and legacy players.
Even basic flavours like vanilla and chocolate are now being reimagined as sugar-free variants,” he said.
Health gets a distribution engine
Get-A-Way cofounder and CEO Jash Shah frames quick commerce as nothing short of a structural reset for challenger brands. “What used to be a 10-year distribution goal can now be fast-tracked within a couple of years,” he said.
“Consumers no longer need to store products; they can buy and consume instantly,” Shah added that the category is growing two to three times faster in quick commerce, with better-for-you products outpacing the broader segment.
The platform effect is also lifting average order values industry-wide. AOVs jump around 50 per cent in summer, while Get-A-Whey is seeing 60–70 per cent growth in AOV, driven by new launches and larger formats. “The demand for zero-sugar, high-protein ice creams is clearly accelerating. Our focus is on delivering the same indulgent taste, but without the guilt,” Shah said.
Legacy players are not being left behind. Dairy Day is clocking over 30 per cent revenue growth this season, running at more than twice the category rate of 13–15 per cent, backed by new dual-flavoured cones, fruit tubs with real fruit chunks, and a bite-sized mini format launched specifically for impulse consumption.
Quick commerce has more than doubled for the brand over the past year and now contributes 6–7 per cent of revenues. “Consumer preferences are evolving, but indulgence remains at the heart of the category,” said Arvind Ramachandran, Vice President of Marketing at Dairy Day. “Consumers are increasingly seeking variety within a single pack, contrast in flavours, and a change in texture with every bite — rather than plain single-flavoured offerings.”
Naturals Ice Cream is projecting 25–30 per cent y-o-y growth and is leaning into premiumisation and experimentation to get there — including a Dark Chocolate Sorbet and two collaborative flavours with Bombay Sweet Shop: Tender Coconut Naga Chilli and Coffee Almond Fudge. “We are seeing consumers gravitate towards unique and experimental flavour profiles,” said director Siddhant Kamath. The brand is approaching quick commerce expansion carefully, given the low shelf life of its products, prioritising supply chain robustness before a broader rollout across major cities this financial year.
Across the board, the convergence of health-forward formats, premiumisation, and near-instant delivery is proving to be a durable growth lever — and, as Shah puts it, “the best is yet to come — this category has strong growth potential over the next three to four years.”