Dinshaw’s, the 93-year-old Nagpur-based dairy and ice cream brand, has unveiled a striking packaging redesign by NH1 Design. Retaining its iconic red while freeing the logo, the new identity centres on a milk drop within the ‘D’, symbolising purity and abundance, and unifying its diverse portfolio with bold visual continuity.
How does a 93-year-old brand step into the future without losing sight of its past? Dinshaw’s Dairy Foods Pvt. Ltd., founded in 1932, has long been a household name across India, synonymous with ice cream indulgence and dairy goodness. For generations, its products have been woven into the fabric of everyday life – from childhood treats to celebratory desserts, from simple family moments to festive gatherings. Now, with a fresh packaging redesign by Delhi-based NH1 Design, Dinshaw’s is reasserting its heritage while embracing a modern, flexible identity that speaks to today’s consumers.
Dinshaw’s is not just another dairy brand. Nearly half of its business comes from ice cream, with milk and dairy products forming the next largest share, and bakery and namkeen offerings adding variety to its portfolio. Its presence stretches across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha and beyond, making it a familiar name in diverse regions. Yet, despite its wide reach, Dinshaw’s has always carried a sense of intimacy – a brand that feels personal, nostalgic, and rooted in trust. The challenge for NH1 Design was to preserve this emotional equity while refreshing the brand’s visual language for a new era.
The colour red, long the heartbeat of Dinshaw’s identity, remains central to the redesign. But the logo itself has been liberated from its box, allowed to move freely across packaging. This unboxed freedom is more than a stylistic choice; it signals openness, adaptability, and a willingness to evolve while staying true to core values. At the centre of this transformation lies a subtle yet powerful detail: a single drop of milk embedded within the ‘D’. This drop is not decorative. It is symbolic – a promise of purity, authenticity, and the wholesome abundance that defines Dinshaw’s.
The ‘D’ itself has been elevated beyond its role as a mere monogram. It now functions as a bold super-graphic, unifying the entire portfolio. Whether on ice cream tubs, milk cartons, or bakery packs, the ‘D’ becomes the focal point, instantly recognisable and intuitively linked to Dinshaw’s promise of indulgence and quality. Packaging, after all, is where brands truly live. It is the first touchpoint for consumers, the canvas on which identity is expressed and trust is reinforced. By making the ‘D’ the anchor of its design system, Dinshaw’s ensures strong brand recall while imprinting its values in the consumer’s mind.
This flexible design system allows Dinshaw’s to own a distinctive and cohesive visual language. In a crowded marketplace where packaging often competes for attention, the clarity and boldness of the new identity give Dinshaw’s an edge. Consumers can recognise it in an instant, whether they are reaching for a familiar flavour or discovering a new product. The design is not just about aesthetics; it is about building continuity across categories, reinforcing heritage while signalling innovation.
NH1 Design, founded in 2013, has built a reputation for integrating art and science, logic and magic. Its approach marries business strategy with consumer insights, uncovering the core message of a brand and bringing it alive through ideas that resonate in the consumer experience cycle. For Dinshaw’s, this meant balancing legacy with modernity, emotion with clarity, and tradition with flexibility. The result is packaging that feels both timeless and contemporary – rooted in the brand’s nine-decade journey yet ready for the next chapter.
The redesign also reflects a broader shift in how heritage brands are reimagining themselves. Consumers today are discerning, seeking authenticity but also expecting freshness. They want brands that feel trustworthy yet dynamic, familiar yet exciting. Dinshaw’s new identity captures this duality. The milk drop within the ‘D’ reassures consumers of purity and quality, while the unboxed logo and bold super-graphic speak to confidence and modernity. It is a design that honours the past while embracing the future.
For Dinshaw’s, the stakes are high. Ice cream and dairy are competitive categories, with both multinational giants and regional players vying for consumer loyalty. Packaging is not just a wrapper; it is a statement of intent. By investing in a redesign that is both strategic and emotive, Dinshaw’s signals its commitment to staying relevant, resonant, and recognisable. It is a reminder that even legacy brands must evolve, and that design can be a powerful tool in shaping perception and driving growth.
The story of Dinshaw’s new packaging is ultimately a story of continuity and change. Continuity in the red that has always defined the brand, in the promise of purity symbolised by the milk drop, in the emotional equity built over generations. Change in the unboxed freedom of the logo, in the boldness of the super-graphic, in the flexibility of the design system. It is a delicate balance, but one that NH1 Design has achieved with clarity and creativity.
As Dinshaw’s products find their way into homes across India, the new packaging will become part of everyday experiences – a tub of ice cream shared after dinner, a carton of milk poured into morning tea, a packet of namkeen opened during a family gathering. Each time, the bold ‘D’ will remind consumers of the brand’s promise, its heritage, and its future. In this way, the redesign is not just about visuals; it is about reinforcing the bond between brand and consumer, a bond built on trust, indulgence, and joy.
For a brand that has lived in people’s memories for over nine decades, the challenge was never about reinvention for reinvention’s sake. It was about finding a way to express what Dinshaw’s has always stood for – purity, authenticity, abundance – in a language that feels fresh and relevant today. With NH1 Design’s thoughtful approach, Dinshaw’s has achieved exactly that. The unboxed logo, the red heartbeat, the milk drop within the ‘D’ – together, they tell a story of heritage and innovation, of continuity and change, of a brand stepping confidently into the future while carrying its past with pride.
In the end, Dinshaw’s new packaging is more than a design exercise. It is a reaffirmation of identity, a celebration of legacy, and a promise of indulgence. It is proof that even after 93 years, a brand can find new ways to connect, inspire, and delight. And it is a reminder that design, when done with insight and imagination, can be as rich and delicious as the product itself.
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