This ice cream parlour was started with just Rs 3.5 lakh, 6 staff members, is now worth over Rs 400 crore, has special connection to Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini

Juhu is a vibrant suburb in Mumbai, most famous for being home to Bollywood superstars like Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Hrithik Roshan, Shatrughan Sinha, and Akshay Kumar, among others. But, amid the rising fame of these actors, Juhu is also famous for being the birthplace of an ice cream parlour that took India by storm. It was in Juhu that Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath set up the first Naturals Ice Cream parlour in 1984. While Bollywood stars drew large crowds to the area, Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath won their hearts with his unusual fruit-filled ice creams.

Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath, over the years, became an icon in India's dessert culture, unknowingly sharing a special connection with Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, and Shatrughan Sinha. Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath, the founder of Naturals Ice Cream, once told a newspaper how he strategically chose Juhu for his first outlet, after realising the star power in the area. 

Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath told the Telegraph in 2015, "Celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Hema Malini stayed in the area. I thought they’d draw more crowds."

Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath was born into a humble family and was the son of a fruit vendor. When he was 14, Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath left school to help out his brother at his eatery, Gokul Refreshments. It was here that he thought of creating an ice cream that celebrated Indian fruits and not artificial flavours. 

Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath soon parted ways with his brother. He invested only Rs 3.5 lakh and launched Naturals Ice Cream with six people as staff and a 200 sq. ft. shop. Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath started the ice cream parlour with just 12 flavours, including sitaphal, tender coconut, jackfruit, muskmelon, and kala jamun. The ice cream, made with just fruit, milk, and sugar, won over people's hearts for its natural taste, and it soon became its USP. 

Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath heavily relied on word-of-mouth, pouring all his belief in the quality of his product. The Naturals menu grew from 12 to 20 flavours and is now a crowd favourite in almost every Indian household. 

Naturals Ice Cream is now worth over Rs 400 crore with 165 outlets spread across 15 Indian states. For over 40 years, Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath kept his ice cream's distinctive feature - that no color or chemical is added - intact. 

Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath passed away in 2024 at the age of 75, leaving behind a legacy of trust. 

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