AMUL – NANDINI – MILMA – a cream of controversy

Milk.. One of the most essential daily needs in an Indian household. In demand from dawn till dusk, milk has its usage inthe kitchen, and commercial food industry, and being used in temples has cultural and religious ramifications. This essential commodity has had its fair share of controversies too. From ethical and Vegan issues raised by PETA to campaigning by NGOs regarding the environmental concerns and treatment of animals, milk has been swathed in dissensions.
Milk cooperative federations, run by the respective state governments have a stronghold over the collection, processing,distribution, and marketing of a particular area. Vijaya in Andhra Pradesh, Medha in Jharkhand, Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh,and of course, Amul, Nandini, and Milma in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Kerala respectively are in-house brands built by farmers. These brands dominate the regional markets and safeguard the interests of the local farmers and agriculturists. 
As a lion knows its territory, the same can be said about milk brands in their respective states. It is an unspoken agreement that the milk giants will not encroach upon one another’s domain. After all, good fences make good neighbours! At the most, milk and milk product supply to milk-deficit states is undertaken on demand, mostly in bulk, and the milk so supplied is sold under the brand of the particular state union.This practice does not encroach upon the brand or monopoly.
The recent row started when the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, which sells its milk products under the Amul brand, tried to enter the Bengaluru market which is dominated by Karnataka Milk Federation’s Nandini brand. While Amul based its move on the premise that there is no written law restricting companies from selling milk in other states, it was trolled by KMF and on several platforms for violating the ethos of cooperative societies and indulging in predatory and monopolistic tactics.
In addition, there is a realization that Amul cannot sell “fresh milk” to consumers in Karnataka, as it will not confirm the rule of being supplied to the consumer within 24 hours after milking,which is followed by KMF, because of transportation and distribution formalities. Amul faced backlash and online trolling (#Amul Go Back and #Save KMF) by netizens. 
However, soon after, Nandini planned on expanding in the neighbouring state of Kerala by opening outlets in the state.Almost immediately, the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation reminded Nandini of its own reaction to Amul’s designs of expansion in Karnataka, and practice what it preached. The livelihood and interests of the Kerala dairy farmers are as important as those of the Karnataka farmers, it said.For an easy comprehension of the issue, we must first understand the distinguishment between the marketing of fresh milk and milk products (milk, curd, buttermilk) vis-à-vis long-life milk products (butter, cheese, ice cream):
Amul’s long-life dairy products like butter, cheese, and icecream have been popular in Karnataka for a long time. Even the Amul milk and curd packets are widely sold in the northern districts of Dharwad and Belagavi. However, Amul’s fresh milk and curd being highly-priced and lacking local support, have a slim chance of surviving in Karnataka in front of Nandini which might not be as popular as Amul, but given its massive network of villages, milk producers, and co-operative societies has the strength and credibility to stand up for itself. One can say that Nandini’s freshness and local appeal speak for themselves.Naam hi kaafi hai! A continuation of the co-existence of both brands in the respective product categories as it has been happening roughly since the year 2015 is desirable. Also, in today’s world of E-Commerce, the consumer cannot be tied to one brand. A typical consumer in Karnataka might be consuming Nandini fresh milk and curd along with Amul butter and cheese on a daily basis, without a second thought. The controversy, for this reason, seems to be overblown and sparked by vested political interests to gain leverage in the coming elections. Quite similarly, when we consider the Nandini-Milma issue,Nandini has been selling its long-life milk products in Kerala for quite some time now, without objection or opposition from Milma. However, Nandini’s move to sell fresh milk, curd, and buttermilk in certain districts has been seen as unethical, and harmful to the interests of the farming community of Kerala. We might say here that competition is healthy, but every competition calls for a fair demarcation of boundaries and rules.

However, in today’s world of e-commerce and open markets,while a brand cannot be a frog in a well, it is equally true that working on one’s name, credibility, reach and appeal continuously and untiringly is the only answer to competition that will invariably crop up from some quarter sooner or later.Dear Brands, hope for the best and prepare for the worst!Milk lover, you are all but a spectator in this struggle of Milk co-operatives that are right now refusing to cooperate with each other!. By the way, what would you like to have – Coffee, Tea, or Controversy??!!

(Writer is Delhi based)