Will DS Group’s bet on Ben’s Cookies take off in India?

Can India’s premium dessert boom make ₹325 cookies mainstream? DS Group is betting it can.

The FMCG conglomerate has entered into an exclusive partnership with iconic British cookie chain Ben’s Cookies to bring the brand to India, marking its latest push into premium food retail and experiential consumption. The move comes at a time when affluent urban consumers are increasingly spending on indulgent desserts, artisanal products and café experiences, creating a fertile market for global niche brands.

7 standalone Ben’s Cookies stores across Delhi and Mumbai to come up

The company plans to launch seven standalone Ben’s Cookies stores across Delhi and Mumbai in June and July, with ambitions to scale to eight to ten outlets within this financial year. Individual cookies will start at around ₹325, while gifting packs will begin at roughly ₹1,500.

For DS Group, the bet is not just on cookies, but on changing consumer behaviour.

“People are moving towards more premium desserts and indulgent experiences,” said Sanskriti Gupta, spokesperson for Ben’s Cookies India and part of DS Group. “Freshness plays a very important role today because consumers do not want something that was made a week ago.”

Founded in Oxford in 1983 by Helge Rubinstein, Ben’s Cookies has built a cult following globally around its freshly baked chunky cookies. India’s version will closely mirror the UK format, with live ovens inside stores and batches baked through the day.

The stores, ranging between 350 and 750 square feet, will largely be located in malls and premium high streets. Alongside cookies, the company will also sell cookie shakes, coffees and cookie ice cream sandwiches, leaning into India’s growing café culture.

Interestingly, the domestic cookie market, valued at $1.3 billion in 2024, is projected to grow to $2.3 billion by 2033, driven by urban affluence, gifting culture and premiumisation trends.

Over the past year, several homegrown brands have also experimented with cookie-first formats, signalling growing demand in what was once considered a niche category dominated largely by café chains and quick service restaurants.

“Consumers today want something exclusive and differentiated,” Gupta said. 

Premium positioning comes with operational risks

Yet, scaling a premium imported dessert brand in India comes with its own challenges, particularly around pricing and logistics. Ben’s Cookies’ dough will be imported from the UK under tightly controlled cold chain conditions. The company said maintaining “absolute temperature integrity” from Oxford to India remains its “highest operational priority”.

The dough is shipped in digitally monitored refrigerated containers with real-time tracking for temperature and humidity. According to the company, the frozen dough remains under uninterrupted sub-zero conditions until it reaches in-store freezers.

Despite ongoing global shipping disruptions, the company said there has been “no impact at all, at this point in time” on supplies.

Margins, meanwhile, will depend heavily on scale. Gupta acknowledged that profitability will improve only with higher volumes and wider expansion. “We want to open and expand all over India,” she said. “With volumes and with duties eventually becoming better, financial gains will start peaking.”

The company is also banking on delivery platforms and gifting demand to widen consumption beyond in-store purchases. Ben’s Cookies will be available through food delivery apps and ecommerce channels alongside its physical outlets.

For DS Group, the larger question is whether India’s appetite for premium global food brands can translate into repeat purchases beyond novelty value. With Gen Z consumers and frequent international travellers already familiar with the brand, the company believes the timing is right.

Whether ₹325 cookies become an everyday indulgence or remain an occasional luxury may ultimately decide how far the bet goes.