Batter Wars! Karnataka's Nandini to launch idli & dosa batter in Bengaluru in two months

KMF has recently invited a tender for the manufacture and supply of idli and dosa batter under the Nandini brand.

The dosa-idli war in the tech hub Bengaluru is set to heat up further with the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) planning to launch Nandini idli and dosa batter soon.

KMF managing director MK Jagadish told Moneycontrol they will launch Nandini ready-to-cook dosa and idli batter in two months.

Currently, the idli and dosa batter market in the city is currently dominated by private players like iD, Asal, and MTR.

"We already have a bouquet of products such as milk, bread, buns, ghee, butter, curd, cheese, buttermilk, and yogurt. Now, we want to launch the idli and dosa batter product. We are hoping that it will be a hit in Bengaluru, which has a large working population, particularly techies who are looking for quick breakfast options," he said.

Also, read: Karnataka's Nandini to unveil whey-based energy drink Splash during T20 Cricket World Cup

“Unlike other players, Nandini batter will be enriched with whey protein powder to improve the taste. We have already conducted trials, and the feedback was positive,” said Jagadish.

Also, read: Quick commerce makes up third of dosa-batter maker iD's sales; grows 100 times in 2 years

KMF has recently invited a tender for the manufacture and supply of idli and dosa batter under the Nandini brand. The selected firm will manufacture around 109,000 kg of batter per year in different quantities/packets: 450 grams and 900 grams. The tender is likely to be finalised by July.

Officials said they are inviting the tender for the second time because they received responses from only one bidder. "We cannot award the work order if there is only one firm responding to the tender, so we had to float it again. This time, we will issue the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to the firm," said Jagadish.

As per the tender conditions, the firm must operate its manufacturing facility in the Bengaluru region with a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence. The idli and dosa batter must include whey protein powder sourced from KMF at prevailing rates. The batter will have a shelf life of nine days, with microbiological quality meeting KMF standards throughout, the document reads.

The firm will be responsible for procuring all raw materials and packaging, except for whey powder, which must also be sourced from KMF. Manufacturing will adhere to KMF specifications and its packaging materials, it said.

Firms will quote net margins to KMF based on specified MRPs, with the highest bidder securing the contract. The selected firm will handle all aspects from production to retail distribution under the Nandini brand. KMF reserves the right to adjust MRPs based on market conditions, with corresponding adjustments in margin payments required from the firm, the document adds.

Nandini is sponsoring the Scotland and Ireland cricket teams in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Nandini has also endorsed US cricketer Nosthush Kenjige, who hails from Karnataka for this tournament. It also launched Nandini Splash, a whey-based energy drink. Other products by Nandini include ice cream, sweets, cookies, milk powder, and snacks.

Also, read: After Scotland, Cricket Ireland unveils T20 World Cup jersey with Karnataka's Nandini logo