Contemporary Dairy Duel? Amul vs Nandini Turf Struggle Spills Over To Bengaluru Metro | India Information

Final Up to date:June 18, 2025, 15:58 IST

With kiosks and Metro area getting into the equation, the combat between the dairy giants is now not nearly milk—it’s about territory, management, and political messaging

The BMRCL deal offers Amul kiosk area at 10 busy Metro stations.

The long-simmering turf warfare between dairy giants Amul and Karnataka Milk Federation’s (KMF) Nandini has boiled over once more—this time over organising kiosks inside Bengaluru’s Namma Metro stations.

The newest flashpoint? BMRCL’s choice to signal a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gujarat-based Amul to arrange kiosks at 10 key Metro stations throughout the town.

Now, with kiosks and Metro area getting into the equation, the combat is now not nearly milk—it’s about territory, management, and political messaging.

Amul has, nevertheless, already moved in and arrange two kiosks—one at Byappanahalli metro station and the opposite at Beniganahalli metro station as per the MoU.

“Nandini had earlier set up kiosks at three stations—MG Road, Mahalaxmi and Vijayanagar—but shut two down due to low revenue,” a high BMRCL supply stated. Solely the Vijayanagar outlet remains to be operational.

The BMRCL deal offers Amul kiosk area at 10 busy Metro stations: Pattandur Agrahara, Indiranagar, Benniganahalli, Byappanahalli, Trinity, Sir M Visvesvaraya, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda (Majestic), Nationwide Faculty, Jayanagar and Banashankari.

However the political milk has already spilt.

BJP MP PC Mohan launched a pointy assault on the Siddaramaiah authorities, accusing it of betraying Karnataka’s dairy farmers by permitting Amul into Metro areas and leaving out Nandini. “The Congress government, which oversees BMRCL, has enabled Amul to displace Nandini. This is a betrayal,” he stated.

The JD(S) went a step additional, alleging that Deputy CM DK Shivakumar had “sold his self-respect for commissions”. On X, the occasion posted: “Before polls, Congress launched a ‘Save Nandini’ campaign. Now, for commission, Shivakumar is welcoming outsiders.”

Shivakaumr countered the argument by saying that Nandini might be given area throughout the metro stations to be arrange and Amul has arrange solely two kiosks until now.

KMF officers, in the meantime, say they’re in contact with BMRCL. “We’re renegotiating rental terms. Talks are ongoing,” one senior officer stated. BMRCL, for its half, maintained that there’s nonetheless room for negotiation.

“Retail spaces are available. If KMF shows interest, we’ll consider,” an official stated, clarifying that the transfer is aimed toward growing non-fare field income to offset public subsidies relating to practice fares.

However this isn’t nearly kiosks, it’s a political warfare.

In 2022, Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah’s remark in Mandya—that Amul and KMF ought to cooperate—set off alarm bells. Protesters feared a merger. A yr later, forward of the 2023 Karnataka meeting polls, Amul introduced its plans to promote milk and curd in Bengaluru by way of e-commerce platforms. That transfer shortly grew to become political gunpowder.

Congress, then in opposition, accused the BJP of “red-carpet treatment” to Amul, claiming it was an try to sideline Karnataka’s home-grown dairy model Nandini. Kannadigas took to social media in protest, dubbing it a risk to the pleasure and livelihood of Karnataka’s dairy farmers.

Whereas each Amul and KMF use the identical Anand mannequin of milk procurement, and even compete in markets like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa, that they had thus far stayed off one another’s residence turfs. That modified in 2023.

Karnataka is a milk-surplus state—its 16 district milk unions provide way over native demand, permitting exports to different states. The KMF is the nation’s second-largest dairy cooperative after Amul, providing aggressive costs and rooted in a powerful native farmer community.

Amul had then clarified that its entry was restricted to a distinct segment, e-commerce viewers. However the injury was performed—the Nandini vs Amul narrative had already turn into an election problem and now a turf warfare between Karnataka and Gujarat.

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