Post $10.2-bn Lotte Confectionery takeover, Havmor streamlines logistics

The home-grown ice cream brand is paring down its distribution network as it nurtures a pan-India ambition

Home-grown ice cream brand Havmor has set its sights on becoming one of the top three in the country by 2020. And its acquisition by South Korean major Lotte Confectionery for Rs 10.20 billion late last year has fuelled Havmor’s plans to consolidate its position in markets down south—including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka-where it is relatively new.

A capital-intensive business, the fragmented ice cream industry in India is a competitive space to be in. But the roll-out of the goods and services tax (GST) holds out hopes for a regional and smaller player like Havmor to pare down its