The ice cream parlour near Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan's house today is a Rs 300 crore business. Why first outlet was opened there

 In the vibrant suburb of Juhu, Mumbai, where stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan and Shatrughan Sinha reside,, a lesser-known legend was taking shape. That was where Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath opened the first Naturals Ice Cream parlour in 1984. While Bollywood celebrities attracted audiences with glamour, Kamath enthralled hearts with something far sweeter—his homemade, fruit-stuffed ice creams.

These three stars, representative of ageless charm, unwittingly shared their locality with a man who would become a legendary figure in India's dessert scene.

First outlet in Juhu

Kamath strategically located his first outlet in Juhu, aware that the locality's star power—owing to residents such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, and Hema Malini—would automatically draw in more traffic and inquisitive customers, he once revealed to a newspaper.

"Celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Hema Malini had stayed in the locality. I felt they'd attract more visitors," Kamath said to Telegraph in 2015.

Born into a humble family, Kamath learned early the importance of quality produce from his father, a fruit vendor. At just 14, he left school to help in his brother’s eatery, ‘Gokul Refreshments.’ It was there that the spark for something bigger took root. He envisioned an ice cream that didn’t rely on artificial flavors or mass production—but rather celebrated the rich bounty of Indian fruits.

Once he had left his brother behind, Kamath put in Rs 3.5 lakh and opened Naturals Ice Cream with only six employees and a small 200 sq. ft. outlet. His goal was distinct: to create unadulterated, fruit-based ice creams using minimal ingredients—fruit, milk, and sugar. The initial menu offered only 12 flavors, among which were sitaphal, tender coconut, jackfruit, muskmelon, and kala jamun. These were previously unknown in commercially available ice creams, and immediately differentiated Naturals.

He made minimal advertising his rule, relying on word-of-mouth instead. His theory was that a great product would shout for itself—and it did so.

Over the years, Naturals' menu expanded to the point where over 20 different flavors were accessible at any moment, including punchy ones like gajar halwa, tilgul, cucumber, and prasadam.

Naturals Ice Cream now stands as an Rs 300+ crore organisation with over 165 outlets located in 15 states across India. Its Tender Coconut flavour is even internationally popular. Continuing to break barriers to this day, the company introduced vending machines as a means to provide 24/7 ice cream availability in recent times. This combination of tradition and cutting-edge technology has continued to fuel Naturals to this day.

Raghunandan Kamath died in 2024 at the age of 75, leaving behind not only a successful venture, but also a legacy of taste, trust, and tenacity. From a small shop in Juhu to a national brand loved by millions, his story is a testament to what can be created from a simple idea, pure ingredients, and an unwavering dream.