From a demolished 15x5-foot cabin to 1.3 lakh litres of milk products a day

In 1983, an Amreli farming family opened a pan cabin to run the household. A government demolition drive took it away. Today the same family runs Sheetal Cool Products Ltd, with a plant spread over 12,000 square metres, about 350 employees and a target of ₹1,500 crore in turnover by 2030.
The Bhuva family comes from Chavand village near Lathi. Dakubhai Bhuva farmed to feed his family, and when his four sons grew up, costs rose. After the cabin was lost, the family didn't give up. At the Janmashtami fair they set up an ice cream stall, selling other companies' products. Soon ice cream caught their interest, and the eldest, Jagdishbhai, began making ice cream on a small scale. The foundation was small but strong, and the business kept growing.
Sheetal was formally launched in the early 1990s. Today, says managing director Bhupatbhai Bhuva, born in 1978 and a B.Com graduate, the brand is known across Gujarat and other states. After its IPO, the issue was subscribed about 31 times. Sheetal covers over 80% of Gujarat, runs more than 25,000 outlets, and has 165 in Amreli alone. Daily capacity is 1.3 lakh litres of milk products, and a plan three times larger is underway. The plant uses automatic machinery from France, Italy and Germany.
Sheetal is known for variety: ice cream, candies, Jamneli lassi, namkeen, wafers, sev, ganthiya and bakery products. Its "31 days, 31 flavours" idea and triple sundaes are hits, and its 700 ml combo pack holds 31 flavours. Prices start at ₹5. Bhupatbhai says Sheetal's formula is high quality, fair prices and wide reach. Raw material suppliers are paid within 24 hours for better discounts, and an in-house lab checks every product.
Faith runs through the family. A 6:30 p.m. aarti is held daily at the Sheetal office, with a Hanuman Chalisa every Saturday. Bhupatbhai calls Hanumanji "my friend". The family of about 15 lives together, and the "J" in the logo honours the late Jagdishbhai.
Service is part of the business. The DJBS Foundation runs about 12 service projects a year, including eye and blood donation, and the family funds it. The family also offers a free cold chamber for the departed, sets aside ₹10 a day for the army and has asked shops to stop selling tobacco, offering a 50% discount on freezers if they do.
Bhupatbhai tells staff not to borrow at high interest. If they need money, they should come to him. The company now aims to give jobs to 1,000 more people in 1,000 days.
The family says it grew in Amreli and will stay in Amreli. Its story shows how faith, hard work and unity can turn a small cabin into a giant.