In 1948, L.C. Java, who was working as an assistant mines manager for Killick Nixon and holding a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Geology, travelled to London to attend the Cornwall School of Mines. He decided to leave the mining profession after a string of mishaps.
He enrolled in the Blackpool Institute of Food Technology, where one of the requirements was an internship with the United Kingdom Ice Cream Alliances. In 1948, he returned to India with new knowledge of the ice cream industry and founded Joy Ice Creams.
Java started India’s first ice cream firm after renting a cellar at Rhythm House in Kala Ghoda for Rs 12 a month.
As Joy expanded, it relocated to larger quarters at No. 82 Annie Besant Road in Worli. Here was where Joy’s original parlour and factory were located. Everyone adored Joy because of its excellent flavour and construction. The name Joy says all about the flavour of the first-ever homogenised ice cream.
Joy was now well-known and well-recognised across the Bombay market. In the early 1960s, India implemented the United Kingdom’s 1946 Heat Treatment Act, which mandated the pasteurisation and heat treatment of all ice creams. Known as the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, Joy began using it shortly after it was founded in 1948. Joy Ice Cream, unlike any other brand, deliberately adopted the same bacteriological standards used by the international ice cream industry. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s national standards authority, gave the ISI mark to Joy. This was a great accomplishment for the business since the ISI mark is required for a wide variety of non-food items in India but is voluntary for food items. As one of the first food firms to get this accreditation, Joy could now add it to its list of accomplishments. This was the year when Joy took the bold initiative to expand its operations to Bangalore. The company incorporated Joy Ice Creams (Bangalore) in 1966, and by 1967, it had launched for business in the city.
In one of its busiest years, Joy relocated from its smaller space in Worli, Bombay, to a more spacious one in Kandivali. This larger space reflected the company’s development from its original basement location to its premises in Kandivali.
But that wasn’t all: JOY’s founder, L.C. Java and other industry giants joined together to develop the Indian Standards Institute (ISI) brand.
The 1980s were a pivotal decade for Joy’s development and expansion. They then launched more brands, including Snoosh, Big Daddy, Nutty Delight, Duet, and a few others, all of which were successful in the marketplace. In addition, Joy was essential in the early 1980s, when the Board of Indian Standards (ISI) drafted the initial set of regulations that would later become the Indian Standards (ISI) mark for one of India’s most beloved desserts: kulfi. The founder of Joy used his expertise to make significant contributions to the development of ice cream industry rules.
The Karnataka Pradesh Hoteliers Association of Bangalore acknowledged L.C. Java as the “Father of the Indian Ice Cream Industry” in 1988.
The name Joy was starting to spread across the country. They pioneered the concept of an all-encompassing franchise system in India. This was unprecedented at the time, and Joy had established a widespread brand identity in India through a network of franchises.
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