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You have certainly had a glass of Mother Dairy milk or a scoop of their ice cream at some point in life. From the iconic milk booths in Delhi to the curd packs that are sitting quietly in your fridge, Mother Dairy is a name most Indian households know very well. But have you ever thought about who actually owns this brand? Let us find out.
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How Did Mother Dairy Start?
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The story of Mother Dairy begins with a much bigger mission. In the 1960s, India was struggling with a serious milk shortage. The government wanted to change that. Operation Flood was launched on January 13, 1970, and it became the world's largest dairy development programme.
The man behind this entire movement was Dr. Verghese Kurien. He is known as the architect of India's White Revolution, which helped India emerge as the largest milk producer in the world.
Mother Dairy was founded in 1974 as a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board, also known as the NDDB. Back then, the idea of getting milk from a vending machine by inserting a coin was something completely new for people.
The Mother Dairy website mentions: “Mother Dairy was commissioned in 1974 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). It was an initiative under Operation Flood, the world's biggest dairy development program launched to make India a milk sufficient nation.”
Who is the Owner of Mother Dairy?
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Here is the simple answer. The NDDB fully owns Mother Dairy as a subsidiary. The NDDB itself is a statutory body administered by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of the Government of India.
This means Mother Dairy is essentially a government-owned company. It does not belong to any private family or individual businessman. It is owned by the people of India, through the government.
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What Does Mother Dairy Do Today?
Mother Dairy is not just about milk anymore. The company manufactures, markets and sells milk and milk products including cultured products, ice creams, paneer and ghee under the Mother Dairy brand. It also has a diversified portfolio with products in edible oils, fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, pulses and processed food like fruit juices and jams.
Mother Dairy also owns two other well-known brands. Safal is their fruits and vegetables retail chain, and Dhara is their edible oil brand.
Mother Dairy is a rare example of a government-run brand that Indians actually trust and love. It was not built to make profits for a single owner or a family. It was built to solve a national problem, which was making milk available and affordable for every Indian. That mission, started by Dr. Verghese Kurien and backed by the Indian government, continues to this day.
