Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which markets its dairy products under the Nandini brand, is set to expand its reach to New Delhi with fresh dairy products such as milk and curd.
“Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah will launch Nandini milk and curd products in the national capital on November 21. We will also introduce idli and dosa batter in Bengaluru on November 26,” KMF managing director MK Jagadish told Moneycontrol.
KMF sells its products in Karnataka, Maharashtra (including Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, and Solapur), Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kerala. Its foray into Delhi will mark an effort to enter the North Indian market, where its Nandini brand will compete with the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation’s Amul.
Delhi’s dairy market is currently dominated by brands like Mother Dairy, Amul, Madhusudan, and Namaste India. To facilitate this expansion, KMF recently floated a tender for the transportation of milk through insulated road tankers from the Mandya Milk Union to Delhi.
“We have conducted trial runs that took 54 hours by road. The trials were successful, with the milk quality maintained throughout,” a senior KMF official said.
KMF plans to use 2,190 tankers to transport milk from Mandya to Delhi and surrounding areas, including parts of Haryana. The journey spans around 2,400–2,500 km one way, requiring stringent quality controls to ensure the milk remains fresh.
“The daily estimated quantity of milk to be transported is around 100,000 kg. With 33 KL tankers, three tankers will be required daily. Including standby tankers, 25 will be deployed weekly,” the official added.
KMF oversees a vast network of 15 unions, 24 lakh milk producers, and 14,000 cooperative societies across 22,000 villages in Karnataka. It processes 8.4 million liters of milk daily and offers over 65 products. The federation disburses Rs 17 crore daily to farmers and reported a turnover of nearly Rs 19,800 crore in 2021–22.
KMF also supplies to the armed forces and exports milk to international markets like the Middle East, Singapore, Bhutan, Myanmar, and the US.
Also, read: MC Explains: The white war between Nandini and Amul ahead of Karnataka polls
Amul-Nandini battle
Ahead of the 2023 Karnataka polls, political parties in the state were at loggerheads over dairy products. This was sparked by Gujarat-based Amul's decision to enter the Bengaluru market, which the Congress alleged would affect Karnataka's dairy cooperative and hundreds of thousands of dairy farmers in the state
Nandini idli-dosa batter debuts in Bengaluru
KMF will launch idli and dosa batter under the flagship Nandini brand in Bengaluru, which is dominated by private players like iD, Asal, and MTR.
What sets Nandini’s batter apart is its whey protein base, which enhances both flavor and texture, according to officials.
Packaged in a blue 900-gram pouch, the batter can make up to 18 idlis or 12–14 dosas. Bengaluru, with its large working population and demand for quick breakfast options, is a key market for this product. KMF plans to expand distribution to other cities after assessing the response in Bengaluru.
Also read: Karnataka's Nandini ready to launch idli & dosa batter in Bengaluru
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