Amul plans spread in north, south

The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, which markets its products under the brand name Amul, is planning to expand its production facilities beyond Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The company has ice cream production facilities at four places in Gujarat and two places in Maharashtra. Amul plans to open ice cream manufacturing units in north and south India as well.

To begin with, GCMMF will open a production facility at Delhi, which will in the initial stages make other dairy products after which it will start manufacturing ice cream.

"We will start the Delhi plant within the next one year and are also looking at starting production facilities in other parts of the country. This will be in addition to the four plants that we have in Gujarat and the two plants at Tarapur and Nagpur," said R S Sodhi, general manager (marketing) for Amul.

Sodhi said Amul has been eyeing a 50 per cent growth in ice-cream sales this year as compared to the past fiscal year.

Providing figures, the general manager said in the fiscal 2003-04, the business through ice cream was of Rs 170 crore (Rs 1.70 billion) and plans have been chalked out to reach sales of ice cream worth Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.50 billion) by the end of the current fiscal year.

Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation produced 27 million litres of ice cream in fiscal 2003-04 and aims to increase production of ice cream this fiscal year to 35 million litres.

"While it will take some time before our new plants become functional, we are at present in the middle of expanding the capacity of a majority of the existing plants, including the ones in Maharashtra," Sodhi said.

Last year, GCMMF embarked on a new marketing strategy for its ice cream with the slogan - 'Real Milk, Real Ice Cream.'

The co-operative has since come up with an aggressive marketing strategy with a target to be the Number One in the Indian ice cream market. All Amul ice creams now carry the punch line below the Amul Ice Cream logo to speak about its interest to provide consumers a touch of real milk in every product.

To retain the existing market and to ensure higher growth, Amul has also come up with new products. To bring an indigenous touch into the industry, the company has introduced Amul Kulfi and named it as Royal Indian Treat.

The kulfi has been launched in two variants as Badshahi Badam Kulfi and Shahista Badam Kulfi.

Amul also has changed its Mango flavours to Alphonso Mango. Beginning the last season, Amul's mango ice cream will be having pulp of Alphonso mango and the packaging too has been changed.

Amul has decided to extend the Frostik brand to other sticks category, like chocobar. For the younger generation, the cooperative has a bouquet in offering, called Fundoo Ball. Kids will get an attractive ball whenever they buy any of the Fundoo Fresh Strawberry, Fundoo Mango, Fundoo Sundae or any one from this range.