World’s leading Confectionary brand, ‘Sweet-Factory’ to Enter in Indian markets with Franchise India

India Sweet House, one of the fastest growing and most popular mithai and snack brands in India has reached yet another milestone with the opening of its 38th location in Vishweshwariah Layout at Bangalore. This latest addition highlights the brand's unwavering commitment to expanding its presence across key neighborhoods, offering customers premium-quality, freshly prepared sweets and snacks. 

The Vishweshwariah Layout outlet offers the perfect blend of tradition and modernity, showcasing India Sweet House's signature mithai, savory treats, and street food-inspired favorites. The store aims to close this gap by providing an unmatched selection of premium-quality products, and its warm and welcoming atmosphere makes it the ideal place for families and foodies.

Commenting on the new launch, Shwetha Rajashekar and Vishwanath Murthy, Co-Founders of India Sweet House, shared, “The opening of our 38th store is a proud moment for us as it symbolizes the trust and love our customers have shown us since we began this journey. Vishweshwariah Layout is a growing hub, and we are excited to bring our carefully crafted sweets and snacks to this vibrant community. With every store we open, our goal remains the same – to deliver freshness, quality, and a memorable experience to our patrons.”

Established in 2020, the business has quickly grown its reach by providing an unrivaled blend of superior products and customer-focused service. India's rich culinary legacy is being celebrated by the company, which has an expanding network of locations in Bangalore and beyond. Going forward, India Sweet House intends to grow its nationwide footprint even more while remaining loyal to its origins and satisfying the ever-changing tastes of its customers.
 

La Dolce Vita, an exciting new concept with Frozen Fun Café has been launched by Founder and CEO of Frozen Fun by Vasuki Punj, a former Miss Universe India 2011 and lawyer-turned-entrepreneur at Bandra, Mumbai.

Frozen Fun Café celebrates Indo-Italian culture, offering more than just gelato. Currently, operating 13 locations in Delhi NCR and Mumbai, Frozen Fun follows a bootstrapped business model with ambitious plans for Pan-India expansion. Designed by Aatika Manzar, Head of Aatika Manzar Designs, the café's Italian chefs bring the authentic taste of Italy to your neighborhood with over 80 years of combined experience.

Commenting on the launch of Frozen Fun Café, Vasuki Punj, Founder & CEO of Frozen Fun comments, “We are thrilled to embark on a new milestone with the launch of our first- ever Café Frozen Fun outlet in Mumbai. Expanding into this vibrant city and becoming part of its dynamic community brings me immense joy and pride. Our mission is to offer our customers a slice of La Dolce Vita, delivering an authentic Italian experience that extends far beyond gelato. Every bite at Café Frozen Fun is a celebration of true Italian craftsmanship. Our inclusive menu caters to everyone, featuring over 90 gelato rotational flavors along with a diverse range of vegan sorbets, no-added sugar and sugar-free desserts. We invite you to step into a world where luxury meets comfort, and where you can indulge your inner child with every sweet moment.”

Éntisi Chocolatier's first flagship location outside of Mumbai, in Koregaon Park, Pune, makes chocolate fantasies come true. The brand was founded by Nikki Thakker. This is Éntisi's sixth store also its first excursion outside of Mumbai.

The 2000 square foot area is filled with the alluring scent of excellent chocolate as soon as one enters. The artistry behind every bite is reflected in the space's sumptuous and welcoming vibe, which is created by warm, earthy tones and contemporary design features. The live chocolate tempering station provides a real treat for chocolate lovers.

Speaking about the experience centre, Nikki Thakker - Founder - Éntisi Chocolatier says, “Our new store in Koregaon Park, Pune, is more than just a place to buy chocolates; it's a celebration of the craft, passion, and creativity that goes into every piece we create. We invite our customers to step into a world where they can see, taste, and feel the magic of chocolate making. Expect a journey of indulgence, discovery, and a whole lot of fun!”

J. Oberoi, a luxury catering and confectionery shop in Jaipur, has introduced a special line of Indian confectionery called "Edible Jewels" to mark ten years in business.

With an emphasis on premium ingredients and a recipe free of milk, this new collection is unlike any traditional sweet.

With gourmet components, exotic fruits from all over the world and dry fruits from India, "Edible Jewels" is marketed as exquisite delights.  J. Oberoi has demonstrated its dedication to safety and hygiene by receiving the esteemed 5-star grade from FSSAI. Their commitment lies in providing delectable items that meet the greatest standards of hygiene.

“Each Edible Jewel is as precious as a piece of jewelry,” said Yuvraj Jain, Managing Director of J Oberoi who added that the sweet is made with the utmost care, every sweet offered in this range is unique in shape, flavour, and ingredient composition, offering a distinctive experience with each bite. The intricate process and fine detailing ensure that these sweets stand out in both appearance and taste.

After serving the most scrumptious dishes from across the world for over two decades, Le Sutra Hospitality has launched confectionery brand The Blue Gourmet.

Ever since he was a child, Hotelier Rahul Bajaj wanted to open his own chocolate factory just like Willy Wonka. Rahul and his team travelled across the globe to study and understand the process of growing, harvesting and processing cacao. He understood how nuanced the process is and how important high quality cacao is for making the best quality chocolates.

The brand has a dedicated farm in Kerala that produces cacao just for The Blue Gourmet and allows them to make their own couverture chocolates.

“The idea behind The Blue Gourmet is to bring pure couverture chocolates to India that are premium, classy and still affordable. We are bringing to you unique and chic products in the ice-cream and the chocolate genre,” shared Bajaj.

The Blue Gourmet is a brand that caters to both, B2B and B2C requirements of chocolates.

Apart from the chocolates, The Blue Gourmet has barks, bonbons, ganache cubes, enrobés and ice-creams on the menu. With 11 unique flavours, the ice-creams are available in two packaging sizes - 125 ml and 500 ml.

The confectionery items can be ordered from Swiggy, Zomato and The Blue Gourmet store in Out Of The Blue, Bandra.

Italian confectionery major and premium chocolate maker, Ferrero Will invest additional Rs 500 crore to take its total investment to Rs 2,000 crore in India to further its production facility and distribution network, a senior company official said.

"India is an important market because the potential is very big. Today, it is relatively small but the idea is that India would grow many folds. The ambitions are big. The idea is to multiply our turnover of today and it would take some time," Ferrero India Managing Director Stefano Pelle.

The company is now planning to enter into tier II and III cities by doubling its distribution network over the next 2-3 years.

brands like Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, Tic Tac and Nutella operated by Ferrero is considering to get into the affordable segment in the sugar confectionery with value-based offerings and small SKUs (stock keeping units) in chocolate side.

Once, Ferrero has right kind of portfolio and have right through the market, then definitely India would be among its "three biggest priority market for us," Pelle added.

About the investment, Pelle said, "There are plans to increase it. Now we have invested already more than Rs 1,500 crore but we have plans to cross easily Rs 2,000 crore in some time to come. It could also be more depending opportunity in the market. Certainly, the group is very clear that India is a priority."

Moreover, the premium chocolate maker is also aiming the mass market by having some affordable products in its offerings.

On being asked about the strategy, Pelle said affordable "packaging would be a part of it".

Ferrero is also expanding its distribution network and plans to be available in top 100 cities soon. "One of the ambition which we have, is to double our distribution in next 2-3 years," Pelle added.

The company has a plant in Baramati catering partly to the domestic market and rest is for markets of South Asia, South East Asia and Middle East.

Its round chocolates in golden wrap may be the best known product of Ferrero Rocher, but it’s the tiny toys packed inside its top selling chocolate-confectionery product Kinder Joy that are now Ferrero India’s biggest product.

Stefano Pelle, managing director at Ferrero India said “India is a growing and very important market with big scope for category penetration. We don’t have a mass brand. We are working in that direction, especially in sugar confectionery, and later, within the enlarged chocolate market, not strictly chocolate products. it would not be easy for the company to compete in mainstream chocolates market. We wouldn’t make something that is there in the mainstream that wouldn’t be Ferrero then. Comparatively, the upcoming products will be among the most affordable products in the Ferrero universe. This doesn’t mean we won’t have our premium products. In spite of the fact that the environment was turbulent, we still saw some double digit growth. While the chocolate market has been facing some headwinds, Ferrero has been growing in double digits."

Ferrero India makes 900 million toys, of which 270 million are used for domestic consumption and the rest are exported, either as part of Kinder Joy packs or as toys.

The Italian firm, which reported €10.3-billion revenues for the year ended August 2016, has only one manufacturing unit in India in Baramati, Maharashtra, but it has some exclusive vendors in the country who manufacture toys only for Ferrero.

The Italian firm, which sells chocolates, bakery products, snacks, spreads, mints and drinks across over 170 countries, has begun testing entry-level confectionery brands in India as it looks to broadbase its portfolio and step up share in an intensely competitive market.

Hershey, US based chocolate confectionary firm investing USD 50 million in India over the next five years to increase its operation in India.

Parveen Jakate, Hershey India Chairman and Managing Director said “We anticipate an investment of about USD 50 million during the next five years as we focus on growing and expanding our presence in India. India is one of our key International focus markets and we are investing to build this important business. We are excited about the future of our great brands and products in India. Our investments over the next several years will help us to further build upon our positive momentum.

Hershey had entered India through a joint venture with Godrej Group in 2008, but dissolved it four years later, buying out the entire stake. India is among the four key markets for the company globally outside North America.

Hershey India's product portfolio includes brands like Hershey's Syrups, Hershey's Milk Booster, Hershey's Spreads, Hershey's Milk Shakes, Sofit, Jolly Rancher, Brookside Chocolates, Jumpin, Nutrine and Smart Cook.

Hershey Company Chief Financial Officer Patricia Little said “Constant currency net sales in India increased 16 per cent and slightly exceeded our plan. Growth in the brands we are investing behind continues to be solid. Our transition of the India portfolio is enabling a higher margin business, and we are on track to expand gross margins here by 1,000 basis points in 2017. This is enabling adjustments in the local marketplace that should result in a sustainable operating model”.

Pennsylvania-headquartered firm, which recently announced its third quarter global earnings, had said that India has emerged as the fastest growing market, clocking a net sales growth of 16 per cent.

FMCG-major, Nestle, plans to set up a second KitKat factory in Japan to strengthen its supply system and respond to overseas demand for flavours such as green tea and sake.

The new Himeji plant will provide premium products under the KitKat Chocolatory range as demand from foreign tourists increases.

It was also be used to develop new KitKat products to build on the current line which includes flavours such as purple sweet potato, wasabi and strawberry cheesecake.

The facility will open on 1 August and be supported by a communications campaign within Japan.

Launched by the DS Group only two years ago, Pulse candy has become the biggest player in the hard-boiled candy (HBC) market, doubling its sales to Rs 326 crore in 2016-17 over the previous year.

Pulse is closely followed by Indonesian coffee-flavoured brand Kopiko at around Rs 306 crore.

This mirrors a trend of hard-boiled candies driving the Rs 8,500-crore ($1.3-billion) Indian confectionery market with other prominent categories such as eclairs and gums showing sluggish growth due to lack of innovation.

Sameer Shukla, Executive Director, Nielsen India, said, Innovations, new launches of brands and variants are driving candies segment growth to a 15% level, almost double the rate at which confectionery category is growing at."

According to Nielsen, from being just a third of the of the overall confectionery market last year, HBCs currently account for nearly half of the total confectionery market.

Shashank Surana, VP, New product development, DS Group, said, "With Pulse, we managed to lure adult consumers."

Krishna Rao, Category Head, Parle Products, said, "The HBC segment has strong sub-categories such as lacto candies, cough lozenges and digestive candies. Most major players are present in that category. It has grown so big that when a new player comes in and studies the market, it decides to launch in that particular segment instead of innovating in others."

He said, "Apart from HBC, another segment in the confectionery market that has grown exponentially is jellies. Around three years ago, there was only Falero from Mapro. But it took off so well that it prompted others, including us, to follow suit with new brands."

Bakers Circle, the Delhi based frozen bakery and confectionery producer and supplier, has opened a new plant in Dubai this week to cater to the Middle East and Africa regions of its key customers.

The company has invested about $5 million or Rs 32.6 crore to set up this facility.

"Dubai is the centre of the geography that is our market with most ease of doing business," said Dev Lall, Founder and MD, Bakers Circle.

At present Bakers Circle is catering the restaurant and cafes like Subway, KFC, CCD, Piza Hut, Quiznoz, Starbucks amongst others.

"The first phase is for frozen dough. Our clients are currently importing frozen dough from US and Europe which makes it very expensive. For this category there are very few suppliers globally, so we decided to do it," said Deepak I Shahdadpuri, MD, DSG Consumer Partners, an investor in the company.

Phase two will be existing products for new clients in the ME and in Africa, he said. It has also invested close to $ 1 million in India this year and installation of an automated cake line and Quiche line along with silo upgrades will be complete by the end of November, added Lall.