In the words of Charles M. Schulz, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt”. And we couldn’t agree more! Chocolate is adored all over the world by adults and children alike. With endless variations in taste and texture, there’s a chocolate out there to please everyone.
Not only does it taste amazing, but research has also proven that chocolate is effective in reducing stress and lowering the chances of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Rich in flavonoids, it is also great for your skin. That’s a lot of goodness packed in one product! Festivities are just around the corner, and what makes a better gift than chocolate?
Here are some of the Top 10 Chocolate Brands in India for you to choose from:
Cadbury
It would be a crime to not have Cadbury on the top of this list. Available in every nook and cranny all over India, Cadbury is synonymous with chocolate.
Founded in 1824 in Britain, Cadbury entered the Indian market in the 1950s and has established itself as a staple. Apart from their well-loved Dairy Milk, Cadbury offers an extensive variety of chocolates— Perk, Gems, 5 Star, and Temptations, to name a few.
Bourneville is highly recommended for lovers of dark chocolate, while Silk is a great option for those who like intense, sweet flavors. No matter your budget or your preference, Cadbury has something for you!
Lindt 
Lindt belongs to Switzerland, the land of chocolates. Established in 1845, this premium brand has slowly made its way into the hearts of Indian consumers.
Lindt chocolates are made with some of the finest ingredients of extremely high quality exported from all over the world, making them an item of luxury. Lindt is best known for its chocolate truffles, which come in a number of flavours- milk, white, dark, orange, and strawberries and creme.
Their chocolate bars, too, have multiple variants including milk, white, dark, sea salt and caramel, lemon, and nougat. Lindt chocolates taste exquisite, and the packaging is sleek and elegant, making them a fine gifting option.
Godiva 
Godiva is a luxury chocolate brand, founded in 1926 in Belgium. Unlike most brands, you will not find Godiva products everywhere. These delectable chocolates are most likely to be available only at the best chocolate shops in your city. This is mainly due to their high price, which is justified by the top quality raw materials used by Godiva.
Apart from their luscious dark chocolate which is a favourite of many, Godiva offers pearl-shaped chocolates in three variants- milk, dark and cappuccino. These chocolate pearls come packed in a designer tin box, and are sure to steal your heart.
Ghirardelli 
Born in San Francisco in 1852, Ghirardelli is perhaps the best option for devotees of dark chocolate. Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate is called ‘Intense Dark’ for a reason, with cacao rate ranging from 60 to 92 per cent. Their milk chocolates are equally scrumptious and are available in several variants including caramel, raspberry, and sea salt.
The most defining feature of Ghirardelli is that it uses the finest quality cacao seeds, which are roasted to perfection in-house. Like Godiva, these beauties cannot be found just anywhere, but only at the best chocolate shops. You are sure to go to chocolate heaven with this one!
Nestle 
Hailing from the chocolate capital, Switzerland, Nestle was established in 1866. Its relationship with India dates back to 1912, making it one of the first international chocolate brands to enter the Indian market. Many of us have fond memories of this brand, with chocolates like Kit Kat, Milkybar, Munch and Bar One being our childhood favourites.
Sensing the needs of Indian consumers, Nestle is slowly introducing new flavours of the universally loved Kit Kat to India, such as brownie, truffle, and white. Their high-end chocolates like L’Atelier make for excellent gifts. Nestle chocolates can be found everywhere across the country, with a plethora of options to choose from.
Ferrero 
Ferrero is an Italian chocolate manufacturer, founded in 1946. Although this brand produces multiple kinds of chocolate, it is most famous for its chocolate and wafer coated hazelnuts, known as Ferrero Rocher. However, Ferrero Rocher is not all this brand has to offer. It is also the proud maker of Nutella, Tic Tac, and Kinder Joy.
Ferrero’s transparent gift boxes are synonymous with gifts in India, and are priced between Rs. 240 for a pack of 5 and over Rs. 1000 for a pack of 24. All of us have happy memories of receiving a box of Ferrero Rocher as a gift, and not wanting to share them with anyone. (Well, most of us still don’t!)
Hershey’s 
An American brand, The Hershey’s Company was established in 1894. With over 100 years of experience, Hershey’s has established itself as one of the largest manufacturers of chocolate in the world. A new addition to the Indian market, this brand has been winning hearts all over the country.
Their mouth-watering chocolate bars are adored all over the world, and are available in milk, dark, and white variants. Hershey’s also manufactures Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which are as popular as their chocolate bars. Recently, Hershey’s launched Brookside Chocolate in India, which is a unique combination of rich dark chocolate and exotic fruit flavours.
Fabelle 
Fabelle is a new, home-grown luxury chocolate brand from ITC, which claims to redefine “the way consumers experience chocolate in India”. The cocoa seeds used for making these fine chocolates are sourced from a host of countries like Madagascar, Ecuador, Sao Tome, Venezuela and Ghana. Like most luxury chocolates, these are available exclusively in select locations, and can also be purchased online. Additionally, you can visit their boutiques to enhance your experience to the highest degree.
Apart from well-crafted chocolates, Fabelle also manufactures Pralines, Ganache, and Dessert Truffles. All their products are beautifully packed. We highly recommend that you give this desi brand a try!
Amul 
Amul is a brand that needs no introduction. Founded in 1946, this Gujarat-based brand that started as a dairy gave birth to India’s White Revolution. Since, Amul has ventured into several markets and has emerged as a leading producer of chocolates in India. Amul chocolates are budget-friendly and are available in an array of variants including milk, fruit and nut, dark, almond, mocha, and orange. Like all Amul products, these chocolates are enriched with the goodness of high-quality milk.
They also offer Chocozoo, which is a box of animal-shaped chocolates that kids love. Amul also has gift packs to take care of your festive needs. Amul chocolates are available online, and offline in most retail stores all over India.
Mars 
A fairly new brand in India, Mars was founded in 1911 in USA. It is one of the largest confectionery manufacturers in the world, and also one of the most popular. In India, Mars’ Snickers is their most successful product, and is a favourite of many. This caramel and peanut filled chocolate bar is the first to come to mind when we think of energy bars. Apart from Snickers, Mars is also the producer of M&Ms, Bounty, Twix and Mars.
All these chocolates have slowly paved their way across the Indian market, and are gradually replacing old favourites of many. Mars chocolates are available all across the country, both online and offline, and are extremely pocket-friendly.