Amul to launch pouch milk in Kolkata

Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation lTD (GCMMF), which markets milk and milk products under the Amul brand, is planning to launch pouch milk in Kolkata.

According to industry estimates, Kolkata city gulps in seven lakh litre of milk per day.

"We are working on a plan to launch pouch milk in Kolkata in December, 2004. But the exact date and the pricing has not been finalised as yet," said R S Sodhi, chief general manager, GCMMF.

"We will utilise the existing distribution channel and appoint new distributors depending on the areas we select for launch," he added.

As of now, GCMMF has no plan to foray into other parts of West Bengal apart from Kolkata.

Mother Dairy, marketed by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), is the largest selling milk brand in Kolkata. The state government also sells its own milk in the city.

At present, GCMMF sells about 25 lakh litre of raw milk per day in various parts of country. GCMMF sells pouch milk in Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nasik and Pune.

In Maharashtra, GCMMF had acquired Kapila Dairy in Pune, a plant of Vadilal in Tarapur and the Kwality's Nagpur Dairy to cater pouch milk to local market.

GCMMF will also launch pouch milk in Jaipur, Kanpur, Bhopal and Lucknow in the coming months.