Tirupati laddu row: A major controversy erupted over the alleged adulteration of animal fat and other substances in the famous laddus (prasadam) of the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh. The Chandrababu Naidu-led state government publicly released a lab report confirming the adulteration in the laddus. In response, the government has replaced the company supplying ghee for the laddus and reportedly blacklisted the supplier. As per the information, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will now use ghee from the ‘Nandini’ brand for preparing the laddus, and a supply order has already been placed with the company.
Just as brands like Amul or Mother Dairy are well-known in North India, ‘Nandini’ holds a similar reputation in South Indian households. 'Nandini' is the largest dairy brand in Karnataka and has a significant presence in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Goa. The Nandini brand is owned by Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited (KMF), the second-largest dairy cooperative federation in India, after the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) which produces Amul.
How KMF and Nandini began?
The first cooperative dairy in Karnataka was established in the Kodagu district in 1955. At that time, packaged milk was not very common and farmers delivered milk directly to homes. By the 1970s, efforts were made to increase milk production which led to the birth of the 'White Revolution' in India. Around this time, the World Bank introduced several schemes for dairy development.
The dairy revolution and the birth of 'Nandini'
In 1974, the Karnataka government launched the Karnataka Dairy Development Corporation (KDCC) to implement the World Bank’s dairy projects in the state. A decade later, the organisation was renamed the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) in 1984. Around the same time, the company introduced milk and other products under the ‘Nandini’ brand, which quickly became Karnataka’s most popular dairy brand and expanded its reach into neighbouring states.
Why Nandini and Amul are rivals?
It should be noted here that Amul and Nandini are direct competitors. Last year, when Amul decided to enter Karnataka's retail market, it caused a significant uproar. Political parties in Karnataka accused Amul of "North Indian infiltration into the South." The Amul Vs Nandini debate even became a key issue in the Karnataka Assembly elections. The Karnataka Milk Federation claimed that there has always been an "unwritten agreement" between cooperative societies not to enter each other’s markets unless the local supplier is unable to meet the demand.
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