Patanjali enters dairy business, to sell cow milk
Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, the consumer products upstart founded by yoga guruturned-businessman Baba Ramdev, on Thursday announced plans to sell packaged cow milk and milk-based products such as curd, chach, paneer and cheese, expanding in the ₹90,000 crore dairy market that has long been dominated by co-operatives.
Patanjali, which has only sold ghee so far among milk products, hopes to generate about ₹500 crore by end of 31 March 2019, and double that the next fiscal year, Ramdev said after unveiling the new products. A packet of milk will be ₹2 cheaper than the average market price, he claimed.
According to Ramdev, the Haridwar-based consumer packaged goods firm has established a network of 56,000 retailers. “We have also partnered with about 100,000 animal dairy farmers to source milk of only Indian breed cows,” Ramdev said. The company aims to sell 1 million litres of milk every day.
Patanjali, which has struggled to grow in the fiscal to 31 March 2018, has also announced an entry into the frozen vegetables market with packaged sweet corn, peas and potato fingers.
On Thursday, Patanjali also announced its entry into cattle feed and feed supplements that will be sold under Dugdhamrit brand and packaged drinking water under Divya Jal brand. As part of its diversification strategy, Patanjali said it will make and sell solar panels, solar street lights, solar hybrid inverter and solar water pumps. Mint first reported on 4 December 2017 about Patanjali’s plans to enter solar business. This will be the firm’s first exposure to the infrastructure sector and comes after its runaway success in consumer products.