The founder of one of the top ice cream brands in India, Naturals Ice Cream, Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath, has passed away at the age of 70.
The ice cream man of India took his last breath at Mumbai's H N Reliance Foundation Hospital on the evening of May 17. Further sources state that he died following a brief illness. His two boys and his wife survive him.
As per News18, many people find inspiration in Raghunandan Kamath's narrative. Hailing from a modest background, he endured many struggles to build one of the largest empires in the nation, valued at over Rs 400 crores.
Beginning his career in Mulki, a town in the Mangalore taluk of the Dakshina Kannada region in Karnataka, Kamath went on to establish Naturals Ice Cream, a firm valued at roughly ₹400 crore today and became a well-known figure in the ice cream industry.
He was raised in a household of six siblings and his father, a fruit trader, was the only provider. He assisted his father in his fruit business as a child, which greatly aided in his fruit knowledge acquisition. He left his Mangalore village at the age of 14 and travelled to Mumbai. He obtained employment at his brother's South Indian eatery, where he made a respectable living.
Further details indicate that on February 14, 1984, he started an ice cream business with four employees and some basic ingredients, and Naturals Ice-Creams was born.
Only 12 varieties were available when the company first started, all of which were created thanks to Raghunandan's father's fruit industry knowledge. He chose a cunning tactic to expand his business: he began selling ice cream alongside pav bhaji. It was a major success and attracted large customers. Naturals Ice-Cream had 135 locations nationwide by 2020. According to reports, his Juhu little shop made Rs 5 lakh in income in its first year of operation.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!