AN INDIAN TWIST
It is not just the source of the cocoa that is becoming more local.
Chocolate makers are also experimenting with flavours designed to appeal to Indian consumers, with combinations such as coconut and lime to mango and chilli.
Manufacturers are preparing new offerings for the festive season, which stretches from Raksha Bandhan in late August to Deepavali in November.
It is a crucial time for the industry, as premium chocolate increasingly competes with traditional Indian sweets for a place at the table.
“Premium chocolates are used for gifting and gifting is a big thing around festivals,” said Ankur Bisen, senior partner at consulting firm The Knowledge Company.
“So premium chocolates do occupy a space around Diwali gifting or Christmas gifting, which was not the norm earlier,” he added.
For now, India’s chocolatiers are focused on the domestic market, though some have already begun to look further afield.
Subko Cacao is already exporting to Dubai and is eyeing the United Kingdom next.
For these chocolate makers, the ambition is not to imitate Europe’s finest offerings, but to build a reputation for Indian chocolate in its own right.
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