Milkshakes, ice creams, and sundaes are the other names for happiness. And bottling this happiness since 1925 is Keventers. Keventers is a name that brings back pleasant childhood memories of sipping icy milkshakes in the sweltering sun. Heading this legacy business at present and bringing it back from being lost is Agastya Dalmia, who currently serves as the director of the brand.
Keventers’ roots
The story predates 1925, despite the tagline’s claim. Swedish dairy entrepreneur and innovator Edward Keventer traveled to India in 1889 to forge his path and establish a name for himself. He assumed control of the Aligarh Dairy Farm in 1894 and began producing milk and dairy goods including cheese and butter and that quickly gained popularity among the citizens. Edward Keventer’s accomplishment was recognised in 1925, and the iconic brand was created. The same wonderful goods were being produced by Keventers quickly in other cities including Delhi, Aligarh, Calcutta, and Darjeeling, solidifying its position as one of India’s top dairy brands.
Over time, Keventers gained enormous popularity for its fresh dairy products, including milk, butter, cheese, and other goods. The company is also credited with creating the distinctive Cassata ice cream container, which is still a cult favourite. The heritage was carried on when the company progressively spread to other cities in North and East India.
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Even Keventers noticed a change in ownership during the liberation movement. After his uncle Edward Keventer passed away, Ramkrishna Dalmia, a prominent industrialist at the time, purchased the brand from his nephew. In the 1960s, the company made a little diversion from the norm by providing milk powder to the Indian army. There were still lots of retailers supplying the adored milkshakes and dairy goods that Indians had grown accustomed to.
The following ten years were challenging as the brand was losing its significance. With the exception of the one stockist in Connaught Place, who continued to offer the cold coffees that have come to be associated with Keventers, the large brand was now in a state of slumber and needed a rebranding and that is when the grandson of Ramkriashna Dalmia took over as the director.
How Agastya Dalmia saved the legacy brand
Agastya Dalmia, hails from a family who have for decades owned the legacy business. He is the grandson of Ramkrishna Dalmia. After completing his schooling at Sanskriti School in 2008, he attended Hindu College, University of Delhi to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English. The business scion joined the Dalmia Group as an investment manager in 2011.
In May 2013, he took the helm of Keventer. Analysing the gradual downfall of the company, Agastya along with his lifelong friend Aman Arora, decided to revive the brand in a different form.
The new bottles were introduced, giving the brand a fresh appearance, but the recipes would honoured the past. When the flagship store opened in New Delhi’s Select Citywalk, everyone—including the grandparents—went on a nostalgic trip. It was a success!
Sohrab Sitaram, a restaurateur, joined the team and gave Agastya & Aman guidance and mentoring. Since then, the brand has proliferated across the nation thanks to the support of the populace and its solid reputation in the industry. Keventers expanded internationally in 2017, with locations in Kenya and Dubai.
The brand currently operates over 250 locations all over the world, as per their official website reports and it has no intention of stopping down. As per ET Retail reports, in FY23, Keventers recorded revenue of Rs 90 crore. In the future, Dalmia anticipates that milkshakes will account for 60% of the business’s revenues, followed by ice cream at 30% and meals at 10%. The company is expected to boost its same-store sales by 25% over the course of the following three to four years, he added.
Agastya’s vision and creative ways to revive the brand have helped skyrocket Keventer to greater heights and becoming a favourite again!
