Mother Dairy to launch dairy whiteners?  ( April '12,2004, HBL)

AFTER milk, `dahi' (yoghurt), ice-cream, flavoured milk and butter, the National Dairy Development Board-owned Mother Dairy is now set to launch dairy whiteners.

According to industry sources, the NDDB subsidiary would use the Karnal-based Modern Dairies Ltd's plant to manufacture the whiteners. The domestic dairy whitener (which is basically sweetened milk powder) market is currently estimated at about Rs 200 crore, with Nestle India's `Everyday' and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation's `Amulya' being the leading brands.

When contacted, the CEO of Mother Dairy India Ltd (MDIL), Mr Paul Thachil, refused to confirm the move. The sources, however, said that the launch of dairy whiteners is consistent with NDDB's strategy to position `Mother Dairy' as a brand straddling all categories of milk products. There are also efforts underway to make `Mother Dairy' a national brand and extending its profile beyond the National Capital region.