“Sweet as honey with some cocoa!
Cold like dollops of snow!
So many colours like a dream!
Nothing spicy for me; just ice cream!”
This person was selling Pav Bhaji as a product and giving his main product as a side offering when he knew that the side product will be appreciated and it will be a hit one day! That is how great decisions are made and legends created!
Read on about the villager who became the visionary behind a company valued at Rs 400 crore!!
This humble man was born to a fruit vendor in Karnataka, and his early life was steeped in simplicity and hard work.
Growing up, he assisted his father in the fruit business, a role that provided him with an invaluable understanding of fruits—an understanding that would later become crucial in his entrepreneurial journey. Even if it is a fruit stand, it must be forced here that the decision to be an entrepreneur is actually made very early in life!
The owner of a small juice store in your street may not earn as much as the chief manager of a hotel in the same area; but for all practical matters, he or she is the owner while the latter is just an employee!
So coming back to the story! It is seen that those who do great in school work well as employees while those who struggle academically like our ‘man’ may actually have the greater urge to lead! So he dropped out of school and at the age of 14, He the comfort and security of hs village to the big world of Mumbai!
Though initially he was an employee, the entrepreneurial spirit is hard to suppress so on February 14, 1984; with just four workers and a handful of basic ingredients—fruit, milk, and sugar—he launched Naturals Ice Cream!
The initial menu featured 12 flavors, each crafted from the knowledge he had acquired during his years working with his father.
As mentioned before to attract customers, he employed a clever strategy: he sold Pav Bhaji as the main dish, with the ice cream as a side offering. This tactic worked brilliantly, drawing crowds who soon became fans of his ice cream. The first year saw his modest Juhu shop generating Rs 5,00,000 in revenue!
He later shifted his priority to the Ice creams and expand his business. Over the years, Naturals grew from a single shop to a national presence, with 135 outlets across India by 2020!
The company’s unique selling proposition—ice cream made from natural ingredients without artificial flavoring was the chief selling point!
Naturals Ice Cream’s success is not just reflected in its revenue, which stood at around Rs 400 crore in FY 2020, but also in its reputation. The brand was recognized in a KPMG survey as one of India’s top 10 companies for best customer experience, a testament to Kamath’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
The man of course is Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath. From a school dropout and a fruit vendor’s son to the ‘Ice Cream Man of India,’ Kamath’s life is a dream narrative for every entrepreneur out there! He will be missed but his legacy will ‘NATURALLY’ go on!
Heartfelt condolences; Om Shanthi…
Shubh ratri…
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