2026.03.26
Jamba, the smoothie chain from California, opened its first store in India in Bandra West, Mumbai in November 2024. It expands through a franchise partner and targets health-conscious consumers in urban areas.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Jamba (part of GoTo Foods) |
| Founded | 1990 (California, USA; formerly Jamba Juice) |
| India store opening | November 2024 |
| First store | Bandra West, Mumbai |
| Operations | Rollout through a franchise partner |
| Number of stores | One store in Mumbai (as of the end of 2024; the store count since then has not been disclosed) |
India has many fresh juice stalls where juice squeezed on the spot is cheap. There are few chains built around smoothies, not because demand is absent but because the model is hard to make work.
Fresh fruit varies in purchased quality from day to day, needs refrigerated storage, and becomes waste if it is not used up. A stall sells what it buys that day on that day, but a chain has to standardize so every store tastes the same. Frozen pulp makes that stable, but raises costs.
Raw Pressery is the example of a company that could not clear this wall. It led the way in cold-pressed juice but could not absorb the cost of refrigerated delivery and waste, and was sold at a valuation far below what it had raised.
Jamba (formerly Jamba Juice), founded in California in 1990, is now part of GoTo Foods and is expanding internationally. It entered India in November 2024 and opened its first store in Bandra West, Mumbai. No openings after that have been disclosed.
Operations are handled by a franchise partner. This is the usual route for American restaurant brands entering India, with the local side taking on the capital and store-opening risk.
Besides smoothies, it offers iced and hot coffee and light meals adapted for India. It is a Grab&Go format built on takeaway, designed for commuters in urban areas.
When you consider a fresh-produce business in India, the question is less whether you can open the first store than whether you can open the second and beyond at the same quality. The very fact that Jamba's store count is not disclosed shows how hard that is.
For Japanese fruit processors and juice makers looking at India, supplying frozen pulp or puree can be more realistic than selling through stores. Companies such as Vadilal Industries already export frozen fruit, so the flow of raw material is in place.
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