Naturals Ice Cream founder Raghunandan Kamath has passed away, the company informed in a social media post. He was 70.
“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,” Naturals Ice Cream said on X.
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Raghunandan Kamath, known as the Ice Cream Man of India, took his last breath at Mumbai’s HN Reliance Foundation Hospital on the evening of May 17, Money Control reported, adding that he died following a brief illness.
Raghunandan Kamath is survived by his wife and two sons.
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How Naturals Ice Cream came into being
- Naturals Ice Cream boasts the use of fresh fruits, dry fruits, milk and sugar, with a strict claim of no preservatives, colouring agents, chemicals, gelatin, or any other additives.
- Raghunandan Kamath learned the art of distinguishing and selecting the best fruits from his father, a mango vendor in Mangalore. Inspired by this knowledge, he envisioned an ice cream made with real fruits instead of just flavours.
- Leaving his father’s business, Raghunandan Kamath travelled from Mangalore to Bombay. In 1984, he opened the first Natural Ice Cream outlet in Juhu Koliwada, initially selling pav bhaji alongside the ice cream as a clever marketing strategy.
- The unique combination and quality of the ice cream quickly attracted attention. By 1994, Naturals had expanded with five more outlets, becoming well-known as the ‘Ice Cream of Juhu Scheme’.
- The love for Naturals Ice Cream spread beyond Mumbai, leading to the opening of over 100 outlets across India.
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