History of Amul. How did the company came into existence??

Bhumika Goel / June 2020

Amul, the taste of India is one of the most familiar lines we have heard right from our childhood. It is one of the most popular food brands in India. In India, Amul cheese, butter, milk, ice-creams are a part of every household. Our fondness for Amul butter can be identified from the fact that it is the most popular brand that can be found in my mother’s kitchen, in kitchens of five-star hotel and restaurants and at street side food stalls. From north to south, east to west food menu can change but when it comes to butter many of us just woo for Amul. 

Likewise its yummy and delicious products Amul brand story is equally fascinating and inspiring.

So, here is the story of brand Amul.

How Amul came into existence?

The delicious food items brand had a struggle story behind its foundation. It is a story blended with spices of exploitation, joint efforts, cooperative movement and white revolution.

Decades ago, when India was still struggling for its freedom, Polson Dairy in Anand Gujarat, used to purchase milk from local farmers of Kaira District at very low rates. The milk collected from the farmers were sold to Bombay government at high rates. This business model exploited farmers who were not able to earn money to meet their daily expenses. However, the middle man and government were making good money by selling milk at comparatively high price.

The farmer’s plea to Sardar Patel.

The farmers approached Sardar Patel. He suggested farmers to sell milk through a cooperative society and to set up a pasteurization plant under it. He asked farmers not to sell milk to the middleman.

Leadership That Lead To Amul Foundation

With the help of Mr. Morarjibhai Desai, a meeting in Samarkha village of Kaira District was organized on January 4, 1946. Formation of milk producers’ co-operative societies to collect milk was decided in the meeting. The meeting also resolved to federate all the milk societies into a Union. The Union would own milk processing facilities. The Government should agree to purchase milk from the Union. If it does not, the farmers would not sell milk to milk contractors in Kaira District and go for a strike.
The demand was turned down by the than Government. As pre decided the farmers called a ‘milk strike’ which lasted for 15 days. Due to the strike the Bombay Milk Scheme almost collapsed. As a result, the government had to accept the farmers’ demand. And Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, Anand came into existence in the year 1946.
The Union was committed to offer appropriate marketing facilities to milk producers of the district. It began milk pasteurization in the year 1948, for the Bombay Milk scheme. The Union was rapidly growing resulting in excess production of milk.

A new dairy was established to utilize the extra milk; by processing it into butter, and milk powder. The new dairy marked the revolution in dairy technology. This was the first time in the world, buffalo milk was processed to make milk products. The new milk products were marketed under the brand name Amul. (The word ‘Amul’ is derived from Sanskrit word ‘Amulya’ which means ‘priceless’.) Sardar Patel, Dr. Varghese Kurien and HM Dalaya were the pillars of this revolution.

Conclusion

Amul laid the way to the establishment of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1965. The world’s largest dairy development program known as “Operation Flood” or “White Revolution” was introduced by the board. Amul was the inspiration for this program. This simulation is often denoted as “Anand Pattern” in the history of White Revolution. India has emerged as the largest producer of milk in the world by replicating “Anand Pattern”.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amul

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Bhumika Goel is a technology and design thinker, a lifelong learner having a wide range of experience across WordPress development, content marketing and search engine optimization. Creative web applications, tools, and products that your customers will love and get you real business results, is something she can empower you with. She is passionate for delivering high-quality work that meets the needs and expectations of her clients. She is always eager to learn new skills and technologies to enhance her portfolio and stay ahead of the curve. She is looking for new opportunities to collaborate with other professionals and help businesses grow their online presence and reach their goals.