Magnum Ice Cream Establishes Innovation Hub in Bengaluru to Drive Product Development for Indian Market

Bengaluru—The Magnum Ice Cream Company has unveiled its new Research, Design & Innovation Centre in Bengaluru, marking a significant expansion of its product development capabilities in India. The 13,000 square-foot facility, situated in the city's Whitefield district, combines cutting-edge laboratory infrastructure with a digitally-enabled pilot plant designed to support innovation across the company's portfolio.

The centre integrates expertise in ice cream science, culinary development, packaging design, and consumer insights into a unified workspace. By leveraging Bengaluru's established ecosystem of food science specialists, ingredient suppliers, and technology start-ups, the facility aims to bridge global research capabilities with locally-relevant product creation.

Functioning as what the company describes as a Creative Lab, the centre will accelerate the development and refinement of products for Kwality Wall's, Cornetto, Magnum, Carte D'Or, Feast, and Twister brands. The facility supports multiple innovation streams including product formulation, manufacturing process optimization, packaging solutions, consumer technical analysis, and regulatory compliance assessment.

The centre's technical capabilities encompass ice cream production, product and packaging evaluation, sensory analysis, and a digitally-equipped pilot plant equipped with advanced machinery. These resources enable rapid prototyping across diverse product formats—from traditional cups and sticks to cones, kulfis, and premium ice cream cakes. The facility also conducts cold-chain testing, climate simulations, three-dimensional packaging design, and transport condition assessments to ensure products perform reliably throughout India's varied climatic regions and distribution networks.

"Kwality Wall's has shaped India's ice cream preferences for over seven decades, consistently introducing new flavours while maintaining beloved heritage products. Our integration into The Magnum Ice Cream Company grants us access to world-class research infrastructure, advanced product knowledge, and a more robust innovation framework," stated Chitrank Goel, Deputy Managing Director of Kwality Wall's (India) Limited. "This Bengaluru centre positions us to respond with greater agility to shifting consumer tastes, develop offerings aligned with Indian cultural moments and celebrations, and build a competitive ice cream business prepared for future market demands."

The Bengaluru facility will coordinate with The Magnum Ice Cream Company's Global Design Centre in Colworth, United Kingdom, and its Regional Innovation hub in Istanbul, Turkey. This collaborative structure enables the company to synthesize international research expertise and technical knowledge with granular understanding of Indian consumer preferences, thereby strengthening its product pipeline, enhancing quality standards, reducing time-to-market, and customizing global dairy technology platforms for Indian consumers.

"India represents one of the world's most dynamic ice cream markets, characterized by rapidly shifting consumer preferences, diverse consumption occasions, and rising quality expectations. Our Bengaluru centre merges our international scientific, technological, and culinary capabilities with localized consumer intelligence, enabling us to accelerate progression from conceptual stage to market-ready products," explained Zbigniew Lewicki, Chief Research, Development & Innovation Officer at The Magnum Ice Cream Company. "Through comprehensive product and packaging development, rigorous sensory evaluation, and thorough cold-chain validation protocols, this centre will be instrumental in delivering ice cream products that resonate more deeply, differentiate more effectively, and excite consumers across India."

The centre's establishment underscores The Magnum Ice Cream Company's strategic commitment to developing a resilient, forward-oriented ice cream business in India through sustained innovation, movement toward premium product segments, quality enhancement, and localized operational execution. As India's ice cream sector experiences continued expansion, the Bengaluru RD&I Centre is positioned to serve as a cornerstone of product development strategy and a source of internationally-competitive offerings for the Indian consumer base.