HOW PARAG MILK FOODS IS MILKING CONSUMERS TRUST USING TECH

The inception of Parag Milk Foods Limited (PMFL) was a turning point in India's dairy industry. During 30 years of its journey, it has demonstrated the courage and zeal to transform the dairy landscape in India.

- VAISHNAVI GUPTA

Dairy is a huge category and the brand operates across categories from liquid milk to ghee, butter, cheese, and whey protein. "80 percent of the dairy market is unorganized as consumers still prefer buying milk from the local shop. But now the market is slightly changing and we are seeing that people are trying to have more branded or packaged food, which will help in making the market more organized, said Akshali Shah, Senior Vice President- Strategy, Sales, and Marketing, Parag Milk Foods.

Parag Milk Foods' flagship brand 'Gowardhan Ghee' continues to enjoy the leadership position in the Cow Ghee segment, with a market share of 20 percent in this growing category. Additionally, cheese is also one of its strongest categories, with a market share of almost 34 percent. It is also the pioneer in premium milk with its Pride of Cows brand.

DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Parag Milk Foods is directly supplying to more than five lakh retail outlets, which includes general trade and modern trade. In modern trade, the brand has a presence in convenience stores like DMart, Reliance, BigBasket, etc.

The brand believes it has created a niche for itself in Tier I and II markets, hence, it plans to penetrate deeper into Tier III and IV towns.

"Tier II and beyond are also focussed markets for us as consumers from those regions are also seeking branded food products," asserted Shah.

"Our next big milestone is to reach 1 million retail outlets directly," she further added. One of the biggest growth drivers for the brand is North and East India.

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