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NIC Ice Creams — Using 10-Minute Delivery Warehouses as Its Own Frozen Logistics

2026.03.26

Article summary

NIC Ice Creams is an ice cream brand that uses no artificial flavoring or preservatives, with its production base in Pune. It has raised about $31 million from Jungle Ventures and others. After expanding to more than 50 cities through multiple channels — food delivery apps, modern retail, and its own parlors — it grew to more than 100 cities in step with the spread of quick commerce. Ice cream must be shipped frozen, which traditionally required investment in frozen facilities in every city, but with frozen sections now available in 10-minute delivery dark stores, makers can add cities without building their own frozen logistics. Because it limits raw materials, it can't rely on flavors that can be made artificially, and making flavors from actual fruit and nuts raises its cost structure.

This article is based on what we could verify As of September 19, 2026 This page is compiled from the disclosures and news reports of each company that could be confirmed as of that date. Amounts in the text follow common Indian notation, with ₹1 crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees) written as 10 million rupees, and the yen figures are rough calculations at around 1.7 yen to the rupee. Store counts, funding amounts, and results at Indian companies change over short periods, so please check the latest information in primary sources such as each company's official announcements when making business decisions.

NIC Ice Creams is a brand that makes ice cream without artificial flavoring or preservatives. It has raised 31 million dollars from investors including Jungle Ventures and is increasing sales through quick commerce.

Company profile

Item	Details
Legal name	NIC Ice Creams
Production base	Pune (Maharashtra)
Total funding raised	About $31 million (Jungle Ventures and others)
Sales areas	More than 100 cities
Sales channel	Quick commerce, food delivery apps, modern retail, company-owned parlors
Features	From fruit-based to dried-fruit-based flavors, it says it uses no artificial flavoring or preservatives
Listing	Unlisted

Adding cities without building its own frozen logistics

Ice cream must be shipped frozen, and in India any break in the cold chain directly means spoiled product. Traditionally, makers expanded shelf space by piling up investment: renting frozen warehouses in each city, arranging refrigerated trucks, and lending freezer cases to retailers.

That picture changed in part once 10-minute delivery dark stores were placed in each city. Because Blinkit and Instamart warehouses have frozen sections, the investment of visiting retailers one by one to lend out freezers can be reduced. Frozen transport to each city and storage there remain the manufacturer's burden, however, and the dark stores' frozen sections themselves are limited in floor space and power.

NIC Ice Creams went after this shift. After expanding to more than 50 cities through multiple channels — food delivery apps, modern retail, and its own parlors — it grew to more than 100 cities as quick commerce spread.

A design built on limiting raw materials

At its Pune plant, it makes ice cream ranging from fruit-based to dried-fruit-based flavors. It says all of them use no artificial flavoring or preservatives.

Limiting raw materials makes it harder to add more flavors. Since it can't rely on flavors that can be made artificially, it has to make them from actual fruit and nuts, which raises cost. That cost gets passed on by selling to a customer base that can bear the price.

Points for Japanese companies

When selling frozen food in India, whether you can use quick commerce frozen sections changes how you expand your shelf. Previously you had to place freezers with retailers city by city, and that burden has eased. Frozen line-haul transport and storage in each city, though, still have to be held in-house or outsourced.

That said, quick-commerce shelf space is judged on turnover. The frozen section has limited space, and a product that doesn't move gets pulled quickly. Before bringing in Japanese ice cream or frozen confectionery, it's necessary to first check whether it can compete under this condition.