Scoops to ACs, sales sizzle in high heat

Ahmedabad: Summer has arrived early and aggressively in Gujarat. And, businesses linked to cooling products are reaping the benefits. From ice creams and beverages to air-conditioners and coolers, most segments are seeing nearly 15% higher demand this season.Ice cream makers, in particular, are witnessing one of their strongest seasons in recent years as consumers increasingly turn to cooling products amid relentless heat. According to Ankit Chona, founder and managing director of Hocco Ice Cream, demand began accelerating from March itself as temperatures climbed steadily. "Holi is usually the point when consumers begin shifting heavily toward summer indulgence products like ice cream," he said, adding that demand remained strong through most of the season despite brief unseasonal cold spells in parts of north India.Riding on the surge, Hocco is planning aggressive expansion and expects to double its summer sales compared to last year. The company, which posted revenues of Rs 530 crore in FY26 with 130% year-on-year growth, is now aiming to close the current financial year near the Rs 1,000 crore mark, positioning itself among India's fastest-growing food companies.To keep pace with demand, the company has ramped up manufacturing capacity. Its Ahmedabad facility, with an installed capacity of 2 lakh litres per day, operated at nearly full utilisation during peak summer weeks. A new manufacturing plant at Panipat with a capacity of 1.3 lakh litres per day has also become operational and is currently producing around 50,000 litres daily. Overall production is expected to reach 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh litres per day during the season.However, the strong season has coincided with mounting cost pressures and supply chain disruptions. Industry players said geopolitical tensions and war-related disruptions have created significant volatility across global supply chains. "Packaging costs have increased by nearly 40%, cone supplies remain tight, and gas supply has been curtailed. Delays in imports from Europe have also affected machinery deliveries, forcing some components to be air-shipped, which has significantly raised costs," Chona said, adding that premium ice cream makers are also facing pressure from rising prices of imported ingredients such as pistachios and dates sourced from West Asia.Vadilal Industries CEO Himanshu Kanwar said the company is also witnessing strong traction this season. "We are seeing double-digit volume growth this summer. Plants are operating at full capacity due to healthy demand across ice cream categories. At the same time, there is pressure on input prices and there could be price hikes ahead," he said.Beverage makers, too, are witnessing a strong summer push, although concerns over packaging material shortages persist.Rasna CMD Piruz Khambatta said demand has strengthened sharply as temperatures continue to rise. "Compared to March and April, beverage demand in Gujarat is around 15% higher in May," he said.Khambatta said companies are facing shortages of plastic packaging material and higher packaging costs, though brands have so far avoided passing the burden to consumers. "Inventories are lower this year because packaging material availability remains limited," he added.Air cooler manufacturer Symphony Ltd also reported robust demand, especially from western and southern India. CEO Nrupesh Shah said sales momentum has remained healthy despite intermittent rain in parts of Gujarat over the past few days. "There is good demand from west and south India. Though some parts of Gujarat received rain recently, we expect summer conditions to return and support decent sales growth," Shah said..He added that inventories stocked before the season have now reduced significantly because of sustained summer demand.Retailers selling air-conditioners are also reporting strong sales momentum, although rising prices are making consumers more cautious. Bhavesh Waria, president of the Ahmedabad Electronics Retailers' Association, said retailers expect AC sales to grow by around 15% this summer compared to last year. "We are seeing stable and healthy demand for air-conditioners this season. However, pricing has become an important factor for buyers," he said."AC prices have risen by nearly 5% to 15% since April as manufacturers pass on higher raw material and supply chain costs. The weakening rupee and rising prices of copper and aluminium have significantly increased manufacturing expenses. Consumers are now carefully comparing prices, energy efficiency and financing options before making purchases," he added.Ahmedabad: Summer has arrived early and aggressively in Gujarat. And, businesses linked to cooling products are making hay while the sun shines. From ice creams and beverages to air-conditioners and coolers, most segments are seeing nearly 15% higher demand this season.Ice cream makers are witnessing one of their strongest seasons. According to Ankit Chona, founder and managing director of Hocco Ice Cream, demand began accelerating from March itself. "Holi is usually the point when consumers begin shifting toward summer indulgence products like ice cream," he said, adding that demand remained strong through most of the season despite brief unseasonal cold spells in parts of north India. The company, which posted revenues of Rs 530 crore in FY26 with 130% year-on-year growth, is now aiming to close the current financial year near the Rs 1,000 crore mark.Its Ahmedabad facility, with an installed capacity of 2 lakh litres per day, operated at nearly full utilization during peak summer weeks. A new manufacturing plant at Panipat with a capacity of 1.3 lakh litres per day has also become operational and is currently producing around 50,000 litres daily. Overall production is expected to reach 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh litres per day during the season.However, there have been challenges. Industry players said war-related disruptions have created significant volatility across global supply chains. "Packaging costs have increased by nearly 40%, cone supplies remain tight, and gas supply has been curtailed. Delays in imports from Europe have also affected machinery deliveries, forcing some components to be air-shipped, which has significantly raised costs," Chona said, adding that premium ice cream makers are also facing pressure from rising prices of imported ingredients such as pistachios and dates sourced from West Asia.Vadilal Industries CEO Himanshu Kanwar said, "We are seeing double-digit volume growth this summer. Plants are operating at full capacity.At the same time, there is pressure on input prices and there could be price hikes ahead." Rasna CMD Piruz Khambatta said demand has strengthened sharply as temperatures continue to rise. "Compared to March and April, beverage demand in Gujarat is around 15% higher in May," he said.Khambatta said companies are facing shortages of plastic packaging material and higher packaging costs, though brands have so far avoided passing the burden to consumers. "Inventories are lower this year because packaging material availability remains limited," he added.Air cooler makers Symphony Ltd also reported robust demand, especially from western and southern India. CEO Nrupesh Shah said, "There is good demand from west and south India. Though some parts of Gujarat received rain recently, we expect summer conditions to return and support decent sales growth." Air-conditioner retailers are reporting strong sales although rising prices are making consumers more cautious. Bhavesh Waria, president of the Ahmedabad Electronics Retailers' Association, said, "Prices have risen by 5% to 15% since April as manufacturers pass on higher raw material and supply chain costs. The weakening rupee and rising prices of copper and aluminium have increased costs. Consumers are comparing prices, energy efficiency and financing options before making purchases."