Frostreats has quickly emerged as India’s first dedicated pet ice cream brand, redefining how pet parents think about safe indulgence for their dogs. Leading its product development and commercial rollout is Uday Verdi Jain, Product Lead at Frostreats, who helped shape the brand’s strategy, formulation, and market entry.
Since its launch, Frostreats has expanded rapidly across cities, built a strong omnichannel presence, and grown into one of Zimero Gourmet Pvt. Ltd.’s fastest-scaling verticals.
In this conversation with Petbiz India, Uday shares the story behind Frostreats, its early challenges, the brand’s growth journey, and what lies ahead for India’s frozen pet treat category.
How did the idea of Frostreats come about?
It actually began at a party in 2024, when I saw my dog completely absorbed in a cup of vanilla ice cream—snout dipped inside, licking it clean, and even looking around to check if anyone had more flavours to share. That moment fascinated me. It made me wonder why there wasn’t a safe, pet-friendly version of this experience.
Coincidentally, I was interning at Zimero Gourmet Pvt. Ltd. that summer, working on product development ideas. During one of our R&D discussions, I pitched the concept of a dog-safe ice cream. From that point, Frostreats started taking real shape. The next two months were dedicated to research, formulation trials, and early testing.
Did you focus more on product development or on understanding market demand? How did you approach your research?
Our initial focus was entirely on product development because we were essentially creating a new category in India. We spent weeks studying international brands, experimenting with different formulations, and identifying an ingredient base that was both pet-safe and locally available.
Each prototype was reviewed by veterinarians across various breeds, ages, and cities to ensure broad compatibility. We also conducted multiple sampling rounds, which gave us early insights into how dogs reacted to the product.
Internally, we even created a metric—the “lick rate”—to measure product acceptance. By the eighth stage, we reached nearly a 90% lick rate, which gave us the confidence that we were on the right path.
Beyond the product, we refined our messaging and pricing. Unlike traditional ice cream, in pet treats the indulgence is for someone you love—your dog. That emotional distinction is what makes Frostreats unique.
How did you plan the early brand launch and market positioning?
From day one, our positioning was centred on Frostreats being the sweet spot between a healthy treat and a refreshing indulgence dogs could enjoy—especially in India’s soaring heat. While many dogs rely on ice cubes or biscuits to cool down, we saw an opportunity to create something functional yet delightful.
For the launch, we adopted a phased omnichannel approach. We initially leveraged Zimero’s human ice cream customer base to identify pet parents—about 12% of our early customer base came from there. Over the next three months, particularly during peak season, we focused on visibility and feedback. We participated in more than 10 pet events, collaborated with 25 pet-friendly cafés, and tried to get Frostreats into as many hands—and paws—as possible.
The response was overwhelming. Customers weren’t buying it just for novelty; they were genuinely excited about a brand thinking differently about pet indulgence.
“Our goal with Frostreats is simple—build meaningful moments between pets and their families. If a cup of ice cream can spark that joy, we’ve done our job.”
Share insights into how Frostreats has grown and what has facilitated this growth.
I’d divide Frostreats’ growth story into three parts.
First, expansion.
We began by extending beyond Zimero’s strongholds of Delhi and Bangalore and are now present in eight cities—nine, including Mumbai, which launched just two days ago. We’re also seeing strong early traction in emerging pet-forward markets such as Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh, which are rapidly narrowing the “humanisation gap.”
Second, customer acquisition in each city.
We explored every possible channel—from modern trade (which became one of our biggest success stories) to creative offline marketing in premium Delhi NCR neighbourhoods that delivered results digital marketing rarely can. On the digital side, performance-led campaigns—from monsoon specials to combo offers—brought nearly 9,000 customers to our website within a year.
Third, customer retention.
Since Frostreats operates in a new category, we face higher levels of hesitation and doubt. We track every repurchase carefully and evaluate each point of the value chain to create a seamless, warm experience. Our current retention rate is 52%, and we aim to reach 62–63% in the coming quarters as we enhance our fulfilment and expand our distribution.
Today, we have 3,000–4,000 loyal customers on our website, many more through quick-commerce platforms like Swiggy and Zomato, and a strong offline presence through stores and cafés. That’s what gives us confidence that Frostreats isn’t just a novelty—it’s becoming part of everyday pet moments, from dull Mondays to cheerful Saturday evenings.
What differentiates Frostreats from competitors?
It’s an exciting space—new players emerge frequently as the pet industry evolves. But Frostreats stands out for two main reasons.
First, the product.
We’ve created India’s only ready-to-eat, vet-approved dog ice cream—safe, functional, and genuinely indulgent. There’s no mixing, no freezing, and no DIY steps. It’s a real ice cream experience for dogs, with a creamy, scoopable texture designed to recreate shared moments of joy between pets and their parents.
Second, our positioning.
We see Frostreats not just as a pet product but as a PFMCG (Pet FMCG) brand. While the consumer is the pet, the purchaser is the pet parent. Every element—packaging, communication, experience—is designed to appeal to both, blending scientific formulation with emotional resonance.
This balance makes Frostreats difficult to replicate.
What key challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
Category education has been our biggest challenge. Every customer is different—passionate pet parents, first-time dog owners, and even people who have never had pets. Some are enthusiastic, but many are hesitant at first.
We focused on education and trust-building: clear packaging communication, vet endorsements, and content that demonstrated real benefits. Nothing convinces customers faster than videos of hundreds of dogs happily finishing a Frostreats cup. Over time, this shifted us from curiosity to credibility.
Our second major challenge was logistics. Once we launched, orders started coming from across the country—from Nagpur to Bhimavaram to Srinagar—highlighting India’s widespread pet community. But managing a frozen product across India’s hot and diverse climate is tough.
We had to rebuild our cold-chain model, explore dry-ice shipping, and tweak our product formulation while ensuring it stayed vet-approved. It was demanding, but incredibly rewarding.
What lies ahead for Frostreats?
Everyone at Frostreats is excited about what’s next. While we’ve managed to crack the education curve in several cities, there’s still a long road ahead. Expanding into markets like Mumbai, Dehradun, and Chandigarh allows us to apply everything we learned in Delhi and Bangalore and scale even smarter.
We’re targeting around ₹30 million in the next financial year, which would represent about 200% growth from our first year. But what excites us most is product diversification. Now that Frostreats has become India’s leading dog ice cream brand, we’re ready to introduce new formats—like our pet ice cream mix and dog waffles—which stay true to our philosophy of safe indulgence.
We are also working to expand retail visibility, entering more pet stores and modern trade outlets that initially hesitated due to freezer or category limitations.
Ultimately, our vision is simple: to create as many joyful moments as possible between pets and their parents. As long as we stay committed to that, growth will naturally follow
