Kwality Wall’s, one of India’s most recognised frozen treats brands, has confirmed a full transition away from vegetable fat-based frozen desserts to genuine milk-based ice creams — across its entire Indian portfolio — by 2027. Nearly half of its product range will make the switch within this year itself, with the remainder completing the journey by next year.
“We are not a frozen dessert company anywhere in the world — we are an ice cream company. In India, we changed everything. Everything.”— Peter ter Kulve, Global CEO, The Magnum Ice Cream Company
For decades, a large share of Kwality Wall’s products sold in India used vegetable fats — particularly palm oil — rather than dairy fat. Under Indian food regulations, only products using milk-derived fat qualify as “ice cream.” Everything else is classified as a “frozen dessert.” This distinction has quietly shaped what millions of Indians have been consuming without always realising it.
The company — now operating under The Magnum Ice Cream Company after its separation from Hindustan Unilever in 2025 — sees India as a cornerstone growth market, currently a $200 million business it expects will become its largest globally. Popular products including Magnum, Cornetto, and the core Kwality Wall’s range will all come under the new dairy-first standard. In a move that surprised many in the industry, the brand also plans to reduce prices by up to 30% in select categories — proving that going premium in ingredients does not always mean going dearer for the buyer. Local Indian flavours such as kulfi and kesar bhog are also in the pipeline.
This development is a clear signal to Indian consumers: read the label, know what you are buying — and from 2027, when it says Kwality Wall’s, it will mean real ice cream.
Written by: Sharon Bose & Arundhuti Chatterjee
Graphics by: Pramit Hazra
