Neuhaus, the Belgian luxury chocolate house that invented the praline in 1912, has entered India — and it has chosen airport retail and premium urban boutiques as its bridgehead.
The brand is arriving through CocoCart, India’s premium omnichannel destination for chocolates, gourmet gifting and global confectionery, which announced in May 2026 the launch of a dedicated premium F&B boutiques vertical — bringing Neuhaus alongside Venchi from Italy, Café Bateel from the UAE, and Le Pain Quotidien from Belgium.
CocoCart has committed INR 56 Cr to the boutiques business, with a plan to open 18 stores across Mumbai and Delhi by end of Year 1, expanding to 32 stores across Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru by Year 3.
Neuhaus specifically is targeted to scale to 7 stores by Year 3 across boutique, kiosk and shop-in-shop formats.
Neuhaus is currently stocked at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport through the Adani One duty free platform, and at Delhi Duty Free.
CocoCart is additionally investing INR 15 Crore in a central commissary to support its café formats and has confirmed India-exclusive Diwali 2026 launches for the Neuhaus brand.
The timing is well-calibrated.
India’s travel retail market was valued at USD 2.83 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 6 Bn by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 13.28% — with airports accounting for 94.35% of that market (Mordor Intelligence, January 2026).
In FY 25-26, combined domestic and international passenger traffic at Indian airports stood at 350 Mn, with airport operators projected to clock 18–20% YoY revenue growth in FY 26-27, driven by rising passenger traffic, tariff revisions and growth in non-aeronautical revenues.
Founded in 1857 at the Galerie de la Reine in Brussels, Neuhaus has made every praline in Belgium for over 160 years — 100% natural ingredients, no palm oil, sustainably sourced cocoa. That provenance story travels well.
Editor’s Note
India’s premium chocolate segment is estimated at INR 12,500 Cr.
The combined market opportunity across premium chocolate, artisanal gelato, luxury gifting, premium cafés and elevated food experiences — the total space CocoCart is targeting — is valued at INR 25,000 Cr.
Neuhaus is not walking into an empty room.
Lindt, Godiva, and homegrown craft players have already seeded the premium chocolate consumer in India’s metros.
What Neuhaus brings is 169 years of Belgian heritage, the original praline, and a gifting proposition tailor-made for India’s corporate and festive consumption culture.
Airport retail is the right first move.
The Indian international traveller — exposed, aspirational, willing to spend — is the perfect first customer. Get them at the gate, convert them at Diwali.
That is the playbook.
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