India is one of the largest producers of dairy products worldwide, with an extensive range of products like yoghurt, cheese, butter, paneer, and ice cream. Dairy products are a staple in every household, and it’s no surprise that the industry is thriving, with significant profits for private dairy companies in India. The process of milk production involves farming, followed by the manufacturing of dairy products for sale. a
The practice of cow barn farming dates back to the early Neolithic era, approximately 7,000 B.C., and has been prevalent in several regions of Europe and Africa. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the dairy industry in India and explore the different dairy companies that contribute to this growing market. Let’s see the top 10 largest dairy companies in India.
Top 10 Dairy Companies In India
Amul
Dairy production has been a prominent industry in India for centuries, with various dairy brands offering a wide range of dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, cheese, and ice cream. Among these dairy companies, AMUL stands out as the largest milk federation in India, having been established in 1964 by Mr Sardar Vallabhai Patel. AMUL’s success is due to its strategy of eliminating middlemen to ensure fair prices for farmers and by partnering with more than 186 district cooperative unions to process milk.
Mother Dairy
Mother Dairy is another notable participant in India’s dairy industry. This subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board has gained domestic and international recognition due to its high-quality products. Initially, Mother Dairy could only produce goods for New Delhi and National Capital Region. However, it has since expanded and now also produces ice cream and sweets on a large scale.
Kwality Ltd
Kwality Ltd. is another dairy company headquartered in New Delhi that manufactures dairy products in various formats, including milk, butter, ghee, and ice cream. The company operates six facilities in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, and employs people in factories in several other states. It produces an impressive 3.4 million liters of milk every day and has actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador.
Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Union
The Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Union, also known as OMFED, is one of India’s leading dairy companies, established in 1985. It is located in D-2 Shaheed Nagar in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa and is owned by the state’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy. The company was established as part of Operation Flood-II of the National Dairy Development Board, following the Amul model. OMFED produces a diverse range of products, including milk and milk products, horticulture products, organic Kandhamal products, and cattle feed, and is ranked as the fourth-largest dairy corporation in India.
Andhra Pradesh Dairy Development Cooperative Federation
To promote the development of the dairy industry, the Andhra Pradesh Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited was established in 1981 by farmers. This cooperative is organized into three levels and is commonly known as APDDCF. It offers milk and milk-related products at affordable prices, including buttermilk, uncooked local paneer, sterilized and flavoured milk, and dried sweets. The organization’s headquarters are located in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state, and it is among the top ten dairy companies in India.
Karnataka Cooperative Milk Federation
Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), the sixth-largest dairy company in India, has been in operation since 1974. It is a cooperative comprising various milk producers, with the Indian Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy as its legal owner. KMF is also known as the Karnataka Dairy Milk Company, and it is the largest dairy in the state. The company’s range of products includes milk, curd, ghee, butter, cheese, milk powder, sweets, chocolate, ice cream, frozen desserts, and more.
KSE Ltd
KSE Ltd, formerly known as Kerala Solvent Extractions Ltd, is a company located in Irinjalakkuda, Thrissur District, Kerala, India. It specializes in the production of dairy products, cattle feed, and oil cake processing. The company was founded on September 25, 1963, and started its commercial operations in April 1972 with the opening of its first solvent extraction plant for coconut oil cakes. In 1976, KSE established a facility to manufacture ready-mixed cattle feed.
Over the past 30 years, KSE has made significant progress in the field of solvent extraction from coconut oil cakes and has become the leading supplier and producer of cattle feed in Kerala. KSE expanded its operations by purchasing, processing, and selling milk and milk products in 2000. In 2002, the company began producing and distributing ice cream under the brand name “Vesta”.
Dudhsagar Dairy
Dudhsagar Dairy, also known as Mehsana District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd, is situated in Anand, Gujarat, and is recognized as the largest dairy in Asia. Its foundation stone was laid on April 2, 1963, by Shri Mansinghbhai Prithviraj Patel, a state-level representative for the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation. With a network of 1150 milk cooperatives, it sources milk from 450,000 milk producers and processes an average of 1.41 million kilograms of milk daily.
Dynamix Dairy
Dynamix Dairy Industries Limited is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, a region famous for its dairy industry. It was established in 1983 by K.M. Goenka and exports its products to various countries, including Canada, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Milma
The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, known by the brand name Milma, was founded in 1980 in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. This dairy company, unique to the state of Kerala, is approved by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy and currently has 13 plants with a daily milk production capacity of 12.50 lakh liters. It is considered one of the best cooperative societies in Kerala.
