After heralding a White Revolution in India, Amul is ready to rewrite history with a second revolution that will surpass the speed and magnitude of the first.
After heralding a White Revolution in India, which changed the way the country consumed milk and its products, Amul is ready to rewrite history with a second revolution that will surpass the speed and magnitude of the first.
The co-operative milk giant, which has kept global majors at bay, is embarking on an ambitious initiative to double its milk production capacity. “It took us 60 years to reach the production figure of 10 million litres per day,” said BM Vyas, managing director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), who is spearheading the programme.
“We plan to double this to 20 million by the year 2020.” In plain terms, what took Amul (Anand Milk Union Ltd) six decades to achieve, will now be replicated in just 10 years and revenues will grow three-fold. The unique cooperative movement, which transformed India from an import-dependent market to a self-sufficient nation, will ensure that the people’s increasing demand for milk, spurred by their growing purchasing power, is met efficiently and consistently.
The programme will also guarantee that there will be no milk shortage in the country for decades to come. The legacy of the father of the White Revolution Dr Varghese Kurien will be carried forward even after his exit.
The GCMMF, which markets all Amul products, expects its sales to zoom to Rs27,000 crore in 2020 from an estimated Rs6,700 crore in 2008-09.
“Amul milk and milk products are available across India and we will continue to expand wherever we see a good opportunity,” Vyas said. “Delhi and Mumbai are two of the biggest markets in the country and we will continue to focus on them.”
While Amul’s mainstay, liquid milk, is sold in Indian cities in the west, north and east, it has not yet entered the southern markets. When asked about Amul’s plans for introducing liquid milk there, Vyas said that Amul was not averse to the idea and would do so if the opportunity arose.
Amul’s unique strategy of processing buffalo milk in Gujarat has worked wonders over the past 60 years and the federation’s 13 dairy unions’ membership has risen to 2.7 million, spread over 13,000 villages. While the livestock in the state has grown by 1% per annum to the current 5.6 million, the productivity level per animal has improved significantly because of better feed and other initiatives taken by the dairy unions.
To achieve the 2020 target, Vyas said that the capacities of the existing 30 dairy plants would be increased and some more plants would be added. Every milk-producing village would be connected, more cold storage facilities would be put in place and the number of Amul parlours as well distributors would be increased manifold.
Himansh Dhomse and Niyati Rana contributed to this report
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}