Meet Raghunandan Kamath, The ‘Ice Cream Man Of India’ Who Founded Natural Ice Cream

When talking about ice creams, the company Natural Ice Cream needs no introduction. Everyone knows about the quality ice cream offered by Natural Ice Cream but ever wondered how this now successful venture started? You always don’t have to be privileged to make your dreams come true, sometimes all it takes is hard work and dedication.

The founder of Natural Ice Cream, Mulky Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath, didn’t give up on his dreams and made his desires come true in the end. Here is the awe-inspiring story of Mulki, the son of a poor fruit vendor, who made his way from a mud house in a Karnataka village to the city of dreams, Mumbai. Today, he heads a Rs 300 crore turnover-generating company.

Who is Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath?

Raghunandan Kamath was born in the year 1954 in Mulki, Karnataka. They were seven siblings, he was the youngest. Raghunandan was born into a humble family and growing up he experienced a very blissful childhood in his village home. His childhood days were possibly spent climbing the trees and exploring his village.

Kamath’s financial conditions never really looked up as a kid. Raghunandan’s father used to be a fruit vendor and barely earned enough to get by and complete the needs of his seven children and his wife.

The Kamath family moved to Mumbai to start working alongside his brother in an eatery. Back then, Raghunandan was only 15 years old and his family’s financial conditions were not good at all. He lived together with his family in a kholi (12 by 12-foot room)Every at Juhu in Mumbai.

How did the idea of starting this venture come to him?

The ecstatic feeling of something cold that melts against the tongue and leaves behind a good aftertaste, who doesn’t like ice cream? Ice creams come in various flavours, shapes, and sizes. Starting with mango, strawberry, and coconut to corn ice cream, you can’t help but fall in love with it.

Raghunandan Kamath failed to pass his boards twice and at the age of 14 he joined his brother’s South Indian eatery to sell their homemade ice cream. He had the innovative idea of going beyond selling the basic flavours of homemade ice cream and wanted to make ice cream with real fruit pulp.

Kamath got some money from the restaurant after the split and he wasted no time to venture out on his own. Raghunandan Kamath set up a small shop of around 200 sqft having six tables in the Juhu Koliwada area in Mumbai. Raghunandan predominantly concentrated on selling original fruit flavours to the masses.

How Naturals Ice Cream began its operations

In 1984, Raghunandan Kamath launched the first store of Natural Ice cream at Juhu, Vile Parle in Mumbai. It became the first parlour in suburbs of the Juhu scheme serving only twelve ice cream flavours with staffing limited to only six people.

Raghunandan mastered the art of picking the best fruits out of the lot from his father who was a mango vendor in Mangalore. Raghunandan decided to keep his ingredients very basic having only fruit, sugar, and milk. Naturals USP is the strict claim of no additives or chemicals, preservatives, or gelatin, making it a quality product in the market.

He wasn’t very sure about people coming to taste his original ice creams so he began his business by serving Pav Bhaji as the main dish and the ice cream was a cherry on the top. The ice creams were a major hit and the sales sky-rocketed. Hence, after a year or so, it stopped selling Pav Bhaji and Naturals became a full-fledged ice cream brand.

The premium fresh quality of the ice creams garnered the attention of the public in no time. By 1994, Naturals had become a household name as the ‘Ice Cream of Juhu Scheme’ and expanded to open five new outlets. Naturals Tender Coconut Ice Cream is listed amongt the top 100 ice creams in the world by Taste Atlas.

Now, Naturals has around 135 outlets across several cities in the country. In the year 2020, they generated a turnover of  Rs 300 crore.

He was inspired by his Mother

Since childhood, Kamath used to closely observe his mother when she used to make different foods. There is no quick way around the recipe for making delicious food. Keeping this in mind, he also did the same in his ice cream business and invented different fruit-flavoured ice creams through deep research. Naturals is also known for selling plenty of unconventional ice cream flavours like Cucumber, Gajar Halwa, and others. These unpopular fruit flavours like Chikoos, Black Grapes, Jack Fruits, and Litchis add to the brand value.

Kamath did not spend a single penny on advertisement

Raghunandan Kamath said,

“I didn’t have to spend a single penny on advertising. It was mostly through word of mouth”

Several celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Vivian Richards, have endorsed Naturals ice-creams on various platforms. Reportedly, the former West Indian cricket captain, Vivian Richards, mentioned that he had been to the Natural Ice Cream outlet and enjoyed the Sapodilla (chikoo) and custard apple-flavoured ice cream.

Raghunandan Kamath dies at age 70

Raghunandan Kamath, 70 years old, succumbs to a brief illness and met his demise on the evening of May 17 at Mumbai’s HN Reliance Foundation Hospital. It was informed by the company in a social media post. He is survived by his immediate family, his wife and his two sons.

Our thoughts on the sad demise of our patron and founder of Naturals Ice Cream, Late (Shri) Raghunandan Kamath. Indeed a very sad and unfortunate day for us.

Regards,
The Naturals Family.
Date: 18th May, 2024. pic.twitter.com/6x5guC5ae8

— Natural Ice Cream (@Naturalicecream) May 18, 2024

His story is proof enough that with dedication and hard work, you can also achieve your dreams.