Mother Dairy forayed into the country's Rs 16,000-crore protein market on Wednesday, setting the stage for a price war in the still-niche yet rapidly growing category dominated largely by startups.
Mother Dairy forayed into the country's Rs 16,000-crore protein market on Wednesday, setting the stage for a price war in the still-niche yet rapidly growing category dominated largely by startups.
The dairy major launched Promilk, which offers 40 gm protein per litre or 30% more protein than regular milk.
With this rollout, Mother Dairy is aiming to sell about 50,000 litres a day in the National Capital Region, Managing Director Manish Bandlish told NDTV Profit in an exclusive interview. "We will also gradually expand our Pro portfolio, with the launch of high-protein paneer and curd over the next one–two months."
Mother Dairy is entering the fray following rival Amul, which launched its high-protein milk along with buttermilk, shakes and whey last year. However, the subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board plans to disrupt the market and take on rivals with its pricing strategy. A 500-ml Mother Dairy Promilk is priced Rs 35, while a 250-ml Amul high-protein milk costs Rs 99.
"We've been working for the past one-and-a-half years to develop a mass product unlike our competition, who may have entered the protein market before us, but their price is much higher," Bandlish said. "This creates an opportunity to democratise protein consumption into daily diets."
About 70% Indians are protein-deficient, with per-capita consumption being much lower than countries like China and the US. "This is despite protein being available in varied forms and formats," the managing director said, adding that Mother Dairy would tap into its 4 lakh retail outlets as well as online channels for distribution.
This product isn't just meant for gym-goers and bodybuilders, but families who don't have access to affordable protein.Manish Bandlish
Also Read: Big Food Wants to Feed Our Protein Obsession
Beyond dairy, the lucrative high-protein market has also attracted several other big fast-moving-consumer-goods players that are offering protein-rich bars, powders, snacks and confectionery. For instance, ITC Ltd. acquired Yogabar, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. invested in Oziva and Zydus Wellness Ltd. acquired Naturell, the owner of Max Protein.
Rising demand for protein-rich food also attracted investments in startups, with ChrysCapital and Motilal Oswal Alternates investing in HealthKart, European investment firm Sofina investing in the Whole Truth and SuperYou raising funding from Zerodha-backed venture firm Rainmatter.
Mother Dairy, the largest milk supplier in the NCR as it sells around 30 lakh litres of milk daily, is set to close the current financial year with a revenue of about Rs 17,500 crore, a 16% year-on-year increase. For the next fiscal, the company is eyeing revenue of Rs 20,000 crore, according to Bandlish.
The company is also looking to invest Rs 1,400–1,500 crore in the next two to three years to expand production capacities in new and existing plants. A new dairy plant is being set up in Nagpur. Other than dairy, Mother Dairy also run two other businesses — food and utilities (Safal) and edible oil (Dhara). It is also coming up with two plants for Safal in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh with a cumulative investment of about Rs 600 crore.
Sign Up with Google
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Adani Power Approves Stock Split Of One Share Into Five; Record Date To Be Announced Soon
Aug 01, 2025
NTPC Q1FY26 Results Soon — Here's Everything You Need To Know
Jul 28, 2025
Show Me The 'Whey': What Data Says On India's Protein Consumption
Jul 27, 2025
Coming Right Up: A Maharaja Mac With A Slice Of Protein
Jul 24, 2025
POPULAR