Summer isn’t summer without those post-dinner walks, kulfi in hand, and sticky fingers that taste like childhood. Cup, stick, cone—each bite a burst of joy. But in a world full of frozen treats laced with artificial everything, finding something real feels rare.
Back in 1971, a small family in Walkeshwar, Mumbai, quietly started something special—handcrafted, fruity ice creams with no preservatives, no fuss, just pure flavour from a tiny neighbourhood shop. Five decades later, that humble scoop has grown into a ₹50 crore brand with 125 outlets and over 50 flavours that still taste like home.
Ready for the coolest story of the season? Let’s dig in.

With a Sweet Dream
The year was 1971, and deep in the narrow lanes of Walkeshwar, South Mumbai, Nemchand Shah dreamed of serving his neighborhood sweet, natural treats made with real ingredients and no additives or shortcuts.
What started as a juice venture turned into something cooler, quite literally. With his brother Jayant Shah, he began crafting hand-churned ice creams in traditional wooden sanchas, with flavours like mango, orange, and sitaphal that tasted like summer in a scoop.
Word spread fast. The freshness and honesty were hard to resist, and the iconic journey of Apsara Ice Cream began.

With a Boost from the Government
A government exemption came through in 1984 and gave Apsara the boost it needed. That year, a landmark case — Joy Ice Cream, Bombay vs. Union of India — revolved around the classification of ice cream freezers as refrigerating devices affecting the duty payable on ice cream.
The ruling helped ease operational costs and paved the way for local brands to innovate. And Apsara had a secret sauce — innovation.
In 1985, its new flavor, Roasted Almond, drew long queues and even longer-lasting memories with its creamy and nutty goodness.
As the buzz about the brand grew, so did the demand for it. In 1990, the family set up their first factory, scaling up without losing the handmade charm, and launched desi new flavours — Pan Pasand and Crunchy Chikki.
By 2004, they were rolling out sugar-free options long before it became the buzzword, and by 2009, they had diversified into milkshakes, kulfi, and sorbets.

& Shaking Things Up
For over 40 years, Apsara Ice Cream operated from just one outlet. An earlier attempt at franchising had failed, and it became hard to maintain the same quality and feel.
The family was content with where Apsara stood, but co-founder Jayant Shah’s son Kiran Shah wasn’t.
Whenever the IIM Lucknow grad working at P&G in Singapore proudly talked about his family’s pure, additive-free ice cream, the usual response was, “Oh, like Naturals?”
Nobody knew Apsara. And that hit hard.
It was the moment everything shifted. Kiran quit his well-paying and secure job, returned home to Mumbai, and his family’s legacy.

Shelf Life Problem
While ice creams of other commercial brands had a shelf life of six months, Apsara would only last for two days.
How could they expand with this limitation?
They had to make the brand strong enough for customers to consume all the ice cream at the parlour, leaving no dead stock behind.
This posed a logistical and operational challenge — there was no room for excess inventory. Ice cream had to be made just in time — fresh and ready to be delivered, not only in Mumbai but also across other cities.
Managing this balance while keeping the ice cream fresh was one of the toughest parts of scaling the business.

Amid Anonymity
Here’s another issue Apsara faced: since they only started expanding in 2014, they were practically anonymous to customers. The presence of giants like Naturals and Baskin-Robbins only worsened their chances.
But Kiran didn’t give up. He utilized his marketing experience and coupled it with months of research and trials in recipes, shelf life, location planning, and production.
Kiran managed to extend the shelf life of the ice cream to 15–20 days, without compromising on freshness or taste. He also rebuilt the supply chain, reduced wastage, and ensured every outlet could serve the same high-quality ice cream.

In the Second Innings
In 2015, a brand overhaul brought in a vibrant new identity — fresh colors, updated packaging, and store designs that looked as good as the ice cream tasted.
The response was immediate. Soon, a modern factory in Thane was set up to keep up with demand.
With better hygiene, smoother operations, and the same sancha-style charm, Apsara was finally ready to grow, without losing what made it special.

Without External Capital
In 2015, Apsara opened its first franchise outlet in Nerul. Within five years, the brand expanded to over 100 stores — all without raising external capital
Kiran visited stores incognito, browsed Zomato reviews, and chatted with customers. One such chat had a customer casually mention guava and chilli.
By 2015, Apsara launched the masala-laced delight that instantly became the brand’s signature flavor. Soon came even bolder experiments like Pani Puri Patakha.

Churning A Healthier Future
Kiran ventured into a new space with the launch of Go Zero in July 2022, crafted for the growing tribe of health-conscious dessert lovers.
He introduced high-protein, low-calorie, sugar-free, and plant-based ice creams.
Now available across 16+ cities via food and quick commerce platforms, Go Zero has raised $2.5 million and is eyeing a 3x revenue jump in FY25, aiming for INR 200 Cr soon.

One Scoop at a Time
Last year, to celebrate its 53rd anniversary alongside the 78th Independence Day, Apsara Ice Creams introduced a special initiative called Apsara Muskaan — Smiles of Joy, distributing 53,000 ice creams across 25 cities in 9 states.
Despite all the initiatives and growth, Apsara’s mission hasn’t changed: “Fresh, handmade, and unapologetically Indian.”
The tagline remains more than marketing—it’s a feeling every loyal customer echoes after their first bite—“Can’t get over it!”