Inspiring Story Behind Arun Ice Creams: How R.G. Chandramogan Went from ₹65 Salary to Creating a Billion-Dollar Empire

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WHAT DOES INDIA'S HOT SUMMER CLIMATE CALL FOR? One answer would be a chilled ice cream. India, which ranks among the top 10 hottest countries in the world, according to a report by Condé Nast Traveler India, takes the production of ice cream and other dairy products very seriously. The story of ice cream in India brings to mind R.G. Chandramogan, the man behind the beloved Arun Ice Cream brand.

Chandramogan started life with humble beginnings and eventually conquered the dairy market in a country of more than 1.4 billion people, making a name for himself and his dairy company, Hatsun Agro Product Ltd. This is the story of India's ice cream billionaire, whose real-time net worth stands at $1.6 billion as of July 10, 2026, according to Forbes.

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Story of R.G. Chandramogan: The Humble Beginnings of India's Ice Cream Billionaire

R.G. Chandramogan was born on March 1, 1942, in the Thiruthangal neighbourhood of Tamil Nadu. He was born into a modest family and did not have a silver spoon that would make him the business icon he is today.

All he had was determination, sheer will, and a resolute business acumen. According to reports, it was in 1956 that Chandramogan's father moved to Chennai, where he opened a provision store near Chennai Central railway station. However, his father suffered heavy losses in 1968, after which the family returned to their hometown.

R.G. Chandramogan enrolled in a pre-university course at a college but dropped out soon after. His iconic journey to becoming India's ice cream billionaire began when his father got him a job as an apprentice at a timber depot in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu. As an apprentice, Chandramogan worked there for a year, earning just Rs 65. He later quit the job and decided to start his own business, a decision that proved to be a turning point in his life.

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Story of Arun Ice Creams

R.G Chandramogan returned to Chennai and ventured into something new—something he had never done before. Even during his difficult journey, Chandramogan had his father's unwavering support. His father sold their ancestral property for Rs 13,000 to fund Chandramogan's business venture.

By 1970, he had rented a 250-square-foot space in Royapuram, Chennai, where he installed an ice-making machine. He also hired four employees for the business and began producing 10,000 ice creams a day. He named the brand 'Arun Ice Cream'. In the early stages of the business, Chandramogan himself sold the ice cream by pushing a cart, going from place to place and building a customer base. 

He began to understand the Indian market and shifted his focus to the needs of every household. A decade later, he expanded his business by selling dairy products. Later, he started processing milk and also began selling ghee and curd. 

After nearly five decades in the market, R.G. Chandramogan is today worth more than $1.6 billion and is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs in the dairy industry. He is the Chairman of Hatsun Agro Product Ltd., which owns some of the company's flagship brands, including Arun, Arokya, and Hatsun, which deal in ice cream, milk, and curd products. The story of R.G. Chandramogan is an inspiring journey of a man who rose from earning a salary of Rs 65 to becoming a businessman worth billions of dollars.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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