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Aatish Nath profile imageAatish Nath
The rise and rise of homegrown chocolate brands in India

From limited-edition, luxury chocolate bars to those made from locally sourced cacao beans, every chocolate maker in the country is catering to a niche market

Growing up in India, the options available as far as chocolate was concerned were limited to Cadbury Dairy Milk or Amul bars, each wrapped in distinctive golden foil. A treat from relatives or friends travelling from abroad consisted of a box of the hazelnut-laden Ferrero Rocher. Then there was the launch of chocolate-enrobed, crisp biscuit wafer such as Cadbury’s Perk and Nestle’s Munch. But in the last few years, as healthy eating has made urban consumers conscious of their sugar intake, a range of new chocolate bars are available. While most are homegrown and some are imported, they are all just a couple of clicks away on the delivery app of your choice.

A surge in homegrown brands

The variety of chocolate makers in India have grown, whether it be trained chocolatiers, small-scale confectioners or those making bars that meet different dietary restrictions. Every new brand is seeking a niche in a chocolate market valued at US$ 9.69 billion in 2021, according to a report by Statista. The same report suggests that by 2027, it will grow by almost 50 per cent, to US$ 14.03 billion. A key reason for this development is that chocolates are replacing traditional sweets–perhaps with Cadbury’s ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye’ campaign credited for starting the process back in the early 2010s.

Brands like Mason & Co and All Things Chocolate  work with local farmers across India for a bean-to-bar experience; Image: Mason & Co

Brands like Mason & Co and All Things Chocolate work with local farmers across India for a bean-to-bar experience; Image: Mason & Co

Cococart is a chocolate aggregator, launched in pandemic times; Image: Cococart 

Cococart is a chocolate aggregator, launched in pandemic times; Image: Cococart 

For those seeking luxury chocolate bars, there’s been a surge in brands that have grown into the market, whether it be Ether Chocolate, where founder and creative director Prateek Bakhtiani has refreshed offerings on a seasonal basis, or Savourworks and Artisanté, both of which have expanded into chocolate after starting out with coffee. Brands such as Mason & Co and All Things Chocolate are working with local farmers across India for a truly bean-to-bar experience. Mansi Reddy, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at Mason & Co says, “We are so happy to see the growth in local chocolate brands in India. We believe it’s due to the growth of a more conscious consumer who is looking for something that is not only local and ethically manufactured, but also of high quality.”

"CHOCOLATE BEANS ARE SOURCED FROM TWO REGIONS [IN SOUTHERN INDIA], ANAMALAI AND IDUKII.”

Baninder Singh

Commenting on his journey towards developing chocolate bars, Bakhtiani says, “One, I like eating chocolate.” Secondly, while he considers it as a restrictive medium, he likes the challenge that a chocolate bar’s minimal presentation gives him along with the fact that it forces him to distill his “relatively complex inspirations through this very restrictive medium.” He is quick to note that as a chocolatier, he is not responsible for roast profiles or sourcing cocoa. Instead, he uses both indigenous chocolate as well as internationally sourced chocolate.

A bean-to-bar approach

On the hand, a lot of local bean-to-bar makers are sourcing from farmers within the country, like New Delhi-based Savorworks, where co-founder Baninder Singh explains, “Chocolate beans are sourced from two regions [in southern India], Anamalai and Idukki.” It then undergoes a nine-step process before it ends up as one of their bars, which, along with coffee, is available on their website.

This pursuit extends to niches too–for instance, chocolate sweetened with dates or with stevia.The variety of chocolate available in India today is mind-boggling. Every brand appeals to different niches—a massive change from a world that once comprised just Cadbury Dairy Milk. The Whole Truth and A Diabetic Chef are two brands that are working with alternative sweeteners. Most chocolatiers work with unsweetened cane sugar when making chocolate, Sanjana Patel, Creative Director and co-founder of La Folie confirms. Her bars, available in variants like Kelagur Coffee and Maple and Chunky Almond, can be found at outlets of Foodhall or ordered online.

Several local bean-to-bar makers like New Delhi-based Savorworks  source directly from farmers within the country; Image: Savorworks 

Several local bean-to-bar makers like New Delhi-based Savorworks source directly from farmers within the country; Image: Savorworks 

Venture Capital money has also joined the fray, with Smoor, the Bengaluru-based chocolate brand having raised funding, and later being acquired by Rebel Foods at a valuation of $50 million. A press release at the time of the April 2022 purchase mentioned, “The Smoor brand has grown over 120 per cent since last year and is looking to achieve a scale of $100 million in annual revenue by 2026, by expanding its presence in India and globally.” Paul and Mike, another bean-to-bar brand that launched in 2019, has grown exponentially. Vikas Temani, Business Head for Paul and Mike says, “We have grown 10 times over the last three years. We source wet cocoa beans and ferment and dry these beans ourselves to control the quality. We then roast the beans, and grind and conch the chocolate.”

Chocolates are positioned as replacing the traditional mithai in ads and marketing campaigns; Image: Cococart

Chocolates are positioned as replacing the traditional mithai in ads and marketing campaigns; Image: Cococart

Indian chocolate makers  have grown, whether it's trained chocolatiers, small-scale confectioners or those making bars for different dietary restrictions; Image: Savorworks 

Indian chocolate makers have grown, whether it's trained chocolatiers, small-scale confectioners or those making bars for different dietary restrictions; Image: Savorworks 

Dealing with the climate emergency

Most bean-to-bar chocolate makers will have to deal with changing weather patterns and a warming planet. Headlines that suggest chocolate, as we know it, will cease to exist by 2050, are alarmist. But things are gradually changing, despite the many challenges that lie ahead. Reddy warns, “Climate change has impacted the production of cacao pods in India too. We witnessed the worst during the floods that hit Kerala in2018, and our farm partners were unable to process cacao beans for two months. A similar crisis is happening right now, as we are seeing unseasonal, heavy rains in many regions of the south.” As the years progress, brands working with chocolate in all forms will only have to contend with more uncertainty.

Also Read: Meet the women championing organic and sustainable farming in India

Also Read: India's coffee scene is coming of age...yet again

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