AHMEDABAD, India — Once recognized as the iconic Havmor, the legacy ice cream brand has been reinvented as Hocco, a fresh and trendy name resonating with Gen Z consumers. Blending heritage with modern flair, Hocco combines playful packaging, innovative flavors, and a strong digital presence to carve a niche in India’s competitive frozen dessert market.
The roots of the brand trace back to 1944, when the Chona family founded Havmor in Karachi. By 2017, Havmor had expanded nationwide with annual revenues of Rs 450 crore before the brand was sold to South Korean conglomerate Lotte for Rs 1000 crore. Building on decades of expertise, the Chona family launched Hocco in 2023, positioning it as a hybrid concept featuring ice cream, eateries, and energy bars. This rebranding embraces pop culture and social media trends to engage younger audiences aged 10 to 40.
Hocco’s innovative product line features intriguing flavors such as hazelnut ice cream—an evolution of the classic cashew nut variant—alongside colorful, Instagram-worthy packaging. This approach has helped the brand stand out in the growing landscape of ice cream franchise opportunities in India.
The Ahmedabad-based startup recently raised $10 million as part of a $20 million Series B funding round led by the Chona Family Office and investor Sauce VC. Current manufacturing capacity stands at 130,000 liters per day, with plans to scale up to 250,000 liters by February 2025. Founder Ankit Chona anticipates securing a second funding round within six months to support this growth.
Hocco products are currently available across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi NCR, and select regions of Madhya Pradesh, with ambitions to expand further as it taps into the evolving market for premium and youthful frozen desserts.
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