For over a century, Vadilal has been one of India's most recognisable ice cream brands. But in a category where trends emerge overnight, quick commerce is changing buying behaviour and Gen Z consumers are constantly looking for novelty. Heritage alone is no longer enough.
Vadilal is betting on continuous evolution. "Legacy is not a legacy if there is no continuity," says Ravi Makwana, Chief Marketing Officer, Vadilal Industries Limited. "We're a 120-year-old young brand." From launching trend-led flavours such as Pista Kunafa and Café Mocha to introducing Vaddy as the face of the brand and refreshing its identity with 'Zara Muskuraiye, Vadilal Khaiye', the company is steadily repositioning itself for a younger generation while preserving the trust it has built over decades.
For Makwana, the transformation begins with the product.
"If we wanted Gen Z's attention, we had to design products specifically for them," he says. Consumer research revealed that younger audiences increasingly approach categories through expression, indulgence and novelty rather than functionality. The growing popularity of Middle Eastern desserts inspired Pista Kunafa, while the rise of café culture led to Café Mocha. According to Makwana, the strategy paid off. Both products sold out soon after launch and continue to receive strong consumer ratings on quick commerce platforms.
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Distribution has become the second pillar of Vadilal's strategy. Makwana believes quick commerce is fundamentally changing how consumers engage with the category. Unlike traditional retail, where family purchases often dictate consumption, rapid delivery has made ice cream a far more personal and impulse-driven purchase.
"General trade continues to dominate, but quick commerce is the fastest-growing channel," he says, estimating that 15-20 per cent of category sales already come through quick commerce. He expects that figure to rise to 30-35 per cent over the coming years.
The shift is encouraging consumers to experiment with new flavours and formats while giving brands faster feedback on product performance. It has also changed the way Vadilal approaches visibility and media planning, with marketing increasingly aligned to specific consumption occasions rather than broad demographic segments.
Despite growing year-round demand, ice cream remains a summer-led category, and Vadilal is looking to change that. The company has expanded into festive consumption occasions through licensed collaborations such as Melody Ice Cream while strengthening categories like ice cream cakes, which perform particularly well towards the end of the year. Rather than positioning ice cream as a seasonal indulgence, Makwana sees an opportunity to make it a dessert for multiple occasions throughout the year.
Innovation continues to drive that ambition. This season, Vadilal introduced nearly a dozen new products across general trade and quick commerce while investing in distribution and freezer expansion to improve availability.
For a legacy brand, however, staying contemporary requires more than product innovation. The introduction of Vaddy marked one of Vadilal's most visible branding exercises in recent years. Makwana says the mascot was created to differentiate the brand in an increasingly cluttered category while giving it a personality that resonates with younger consumers.
"It couldn't feel like an old man wearing new clothes," he says, describing the refresh as an evolution rather than a reinvention.
Internally, the company also rejects the traditional distinction between brand building and performance marketing. Instead, it sees every consumer touchpoint as part of a single journey, planning communication around moments of consumption across television, digital platforms and quick commerce.
The approach appears to be delivering results. Makwana points to one of Vadilal's strongest recent quarters, supported by product innovation, wider distribution and improving brand equity scores.
Even as new entrants continue to reshape the market, he believes Vadilal's biggest competitive advantage remains unchanged. "In this era of clutter and new-age brands, I don't need to explain my brand to consumers. That's a big moat for us," he adds. That familiarity has taken more than a century to build. The challenge now is ensuring it remains just as meaningful to the next generation of consumers.
