Ice popsicles have been out there in India for a number of a long time, however the conventional type of the frosty snack is mostly not branded and constructed from synthetic colourings, flavours and substances, along with water that isn’t normally as much as security and high quality requirements.
“We realised that there was primarily nothing occurring throughout the ice pops sector in India, no manufacturers being established and positively no higher choices being developed, particularly for youths,” Skippi Co-Founder Ravi Kabra informed Foodnavigator-Asia.
“Provided that India is such a sizzling and humid nation in comparison with western markets just like the UK and US, ice pops are literally an enormous trade right here. So we determined to make a more healthy, higher, branded model of those, utilizing 100% pure substances extracted from vegatables and fruits, together with the colors and flavourings.
“Ice pops even have the added benefit over different merchandise comparable to ice lotions that are extra of a dessert and might be heavy on the abdomen – for ice pops, a shopper may have two or three a day because it’s a lot lighter on the abdomen and never simply meant as a dessert. There’s additionally no direct competitors between the 2 merchandise given how they’re meant for various experiences.”
Skippi at the moment has six flavours out there – Mango Twist, Orange, Lemon, Raspberry, Cola and Bubblegum – and intends to launch one other six extra throughout the subsequent two to 3 months.
“Cola is the preferred flavour now, in all probability as a result of it evokes lots of nostalgic reminiscences for customers,” stated Kabra.
“The vast majority of our target market for Skippi Ice Pops are children, however we’ve discovered that the nostalgia issue has made adults aged 30-plus amongst our first customers, as these are more healthy choices that they’ll relate to from their schooldays. I’d say proper now, at the least 30% of our product consumption is by adults.”
Skippi has additionally managed to alleviate potential issues that would come up from chilly chain challenges, provided that India does have many chilly chain points at current, by opting to fabricate the ice pops and transport these in liquid kind, letting customers freeze these at residence.
“This technique helped us to resolve lots of main points, avoiding chilly chain issues which might be fairly a large number right here, and can also be extra sustainable and permits us to produce to each nook and nook of the nation,” stated Kabra.
“As well as, exports are our prime precedence and this technique will allow us to increase these quicker – as it’s we’re already sending product to Nepal and have plans for Sri Lanka and Africa, along with queries from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
“Similar to Pepsi and Coca-Cola primarily created the comfortable drinks phase, we imagine we’re creating a complete new distinctive product phase right here for ice pops, and positively goal to be the market chief right here quickly”
Shark Tank expertise
Along with being the primary ice pop model in India, Skippi additionally made headlines just lately by efficiently rising as the primary model in India to safe investments from all 5 ‘sharks’ on Shark Tank India, creating historical past on the programme.
“It was a tremendous expertise as from over 66,000 candidates solely 67 had been funded – and we had been the primary to have investments from all of the sharks,” stated Kabra.
“In our pitch, we made positive that our drawback assertion was clear, highlighting that the majority ice pops in India are constructed from soiled faucet water and synthetic substances so many children get sick and adults don’t eat these, and that there isn’t any model at the moment for these; along with presenting how we now have already settled main points comparable to the necessity for chilly chain.
“We additionally use patented know-how to make the ice comfortable and crunchy – so there isn’t any want to attend (after the product is frozen and out of the freezer) to take that first chunk.
“This was interesting to the sharks, and in whole they supplied us about US$120,000 for 15% fairness within the agency, so 3% per shark, and one other sixth shark even known as us after the programme to ask to get on board with one other 3% – so all in all we received INR12mn (about US$160,000) in alternate for 18% of the agency.”
Transferring ahead, the agency is appointing distributors throughout the entire nation, to enter all types of retail from supermarkets to mom-and-pop outlets.
“Within the subsequent six months, we need to be out there pan-India with the present six flavours in addition to the six extra upcoming flavours which shall be ‘Indianised’ flavours,” stated Kabra.
“After that, we shall be trying so as to add extra merchandise to our portfolio, merchandise throughout the ‘enjoyable’ phase comparable to snacks and goodies, however first we would like the ice pops to be our flagship product and stabilise first.
“Worldwide enlargement can also be very a lot on the playing cards for us, and we’re searching for extra worldwide partnerships – ice pops will attraction to lots of nations, particularly these with sizzling and humid climates and we hope to convey our more healthy choices to the worldwide market.”
