Karnataka's Nandini Milk enters Delhi-NCR markets

NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday launched the Karnataka Milk Federation's (KMF) Nandini brand of milk products in the Delhi-NCR, marking Nandini's first-ever entry into the national capital.

"We are selling the milk and its products in the name of 'Nandini'. We are launching the products of Nandini in Delhi today...We are selling the products in Hyderabad, Chennai, Kerala, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Pune. Today, we are entering the market of Delhi," said CM Siddaramaiah while talking to reporters during the launch event.

State Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh and Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy were also present at the product launch.

Brands like Amul and Mother Dairy dominate households in North India, while Nandini Milk holds the same ranking in the southern part of India with its availability in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra.

Notably, after controversy has emerged over the alleged use of animal fat in Prasada given at Tirumala temple in Andhra's Tirupati district, the Karnataka government has decided that only Nandini ghee supplied by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) will be used in making the prasada at all the major temples in the state.

"A circular will be issued today or tomorrow to all major temples in Karnataka mandating the use of only KMF's Nandini ghee in Prasada.We will also test the Prasada given at these temples," Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy said while announcing in September.

The announcement by the Karnataka government has come after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, a sweet offered at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government.