Food and Beverages
How Top ’N Town is Driving Growth with Data and Distribution Excellence
In this episode of Masters of Change, Anurag Ramani, Director at Ramani Ice Cream Company, shares how a decades-old regional brand is evolving into a data-driven FMCG player. From building on a strong legacy to leveraging technology for sharper execution, he explains how visibility at the last mile is unlocking faster growth and better decision-making.
Also available on:
1. Introduction and the Legacy Journey
Could you take us through the journey of the company and how it has evolved over the years?
Anurag Ramani: Top ’N Town is a legacy business that started over four decades ago. It was founded by my great-grandfather, Balchand Kraa, as a small shop in New Market, Bhopal. That outlet still exists and continues to be one of our best-performing counters.
In the early days, we were retailing another brand, but supply constraints during peak summer months pushed the second generation to take a bold step. My father and his brothers decided to start our own manufacturing under the Top ’N Town brand. It began with a small factory set up above the original store.
2. Product Innovation and Consumer Insight
What is your favourite product from the portfolio?
Anurag Ramani: There are two I would highlight. One is Superstar, a kids-focused product that we recently launched. The idea came from a simple insight that children have a strong influence on dessert choices at home. We designed a star-shaped ice cream and paired it with a small gift to make it more engaging.
Personally, I enjoy the Wildberry Cheesecake flavour. It is inspired by my love for cheesecakes and works well as an indulgent option.
3. Digital Transformation and Last-Mile Visibility
Anurag Ramani: One of the biggest shifts for us has been adopting digital tools. Internet-first companies scale quickly because they have real-time visibility across their operations.
Mapping our processes to software has helped standardise execution and align teams. Platforms like Bizom have made it easier to manage distribution and retail execution. That visibility at the last mile has fundamentally changed how we operate day to day.
4. Impactful Metrics: Value Per Outlet (VPO)
What kind of measurable impact have you seen using Bizom?
Anurag Ramani: Earlier, once stock was dispatched, we had very limited visibility into performance. Now, one key metric we actively track is Value Per Outlet (VPO).
We can identify underperforming outlets quickly and take corrective action. It also helps in better resource allocation. For example, deploying assets like deep freezers is now far more efficient because we know exactly where the return will be highest.
Real-time distributor visibility has significantly improved frontline productivity. Sales teams can see live stock availability while taking orders, which improves fulfilment rates and reduces inefficiencies.
How has this impacted pricing and demand planning?
Anurag Ramani: It has made a big difference. When launching a new SKU, we can track its performance in real time and scale it faster. Even before entering a market, we can estimate opportunity size based on outlet-level consumption data.
5. Choosing the Right Technology Partner
What were your key considerations while selecting a solution?
Anurag Ramani: We focused on three things: ease of use, existing clientele, and the breadth of features. Bizom stood out across all three.
Ease of adoption is critical, especially when you are rolling it out across multiple stakeholders.
6. The Challenge of Change Management
What challenges did you face during implementation?
Anurag Ramani: Change management was the toughest part. People naturally want systems to adapt to their existing ways of working, but real transformation requires the opposite.
We initially tried a softer approach, but adoption improved only when we linked incentives directly to KPIs tracked within the system. That alignment drove behaviour change.
7. The Future of FMCG Digitisation
Anurag Ramani: Today, I believe tools like SFA and DMS are non-negotiable for any FMCG company. If I were to start again, I would implement them from day one.
Digital systems help build discipline early, and that becomes a strong foundation for scaling.
Can you share one key success from the past year?
Anurag Ramani: With better visibility, we identified specific store formats that performed exceptionally well, especially in Tier 2 and rural markets. These outlets scaled quickly and became strong growth drivers for us.