NEW DELHI: Amul and Mother Dairy, India’s two largest dairy product retailers, on Wednesday announced a Rs 2 per litre hike in milk prices, adding to inflationary pressures and increasing the burden on household budgets. The move marks the second price revision by both dairy cooperatives in the last 13 months and is likely to trigger similar hikes by regional dairy companies, according to news agency PTI. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which sells milk and dairy products under the Amul brand, said in a statement that it has “increased the prices of fresh pouch milk by Rs 2 per litre in major milk-selling variants/packs across India effective from May 14”. Mother Dairy also confirmed that it has revised the consumer prices of its liquid milk variants by Rs 2 per litre, effective Thursday. GCMMF had last increased milk prices on May 1, 2025, while Mother Dairy revised rates in April 2025. The latest hike by the country’s two biggest organised milk retailers is expected to further push food inflation, which has already risen in recent weeks amid the conflict in West Asia. According to news agency PTI, food inflation crossed the 4 per cent mark in April, and the increase in milk prices is expected to add to the financial strain on consumers. Explaining the decision, GCMMF said the hike translates to an increase of around 2.5 to 3.5 per cent per litre, which is still lower than the average food inflation rate.“The price hike is being done due to an increase in the overall cost of operation and production of milk. There is a substantial increase in the cost of cattle feed, milk packaging film and fuel during the year,” GCMMF said. The cooperative also noted that its member unions have increased farmers’ procurement price by Rs 30 per kg of fat, amounting to a 3.7 per cent rise over May 2025 levels. Mother Dairy said “The revision has been necessitated in view of the sustained increase in farmer procurement prices, of around 6 per cent over the past one year, despite continued efforts to limit the impact on consumers”. It added that the increase is only a partial pass-through of rising costs and is aimed at “maintaining a fair balance between farmer welfare and consumer interests”. Both companies said they pass on nearly 75-80 per cent of their sales realisation to milk producers. Mother Dairy currently sells around 55 lakh litres of milk every day and remains one of the leading milk suppliers in the Delhi-NCR region. Under Amul’s revised prices in Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh, a 500 ml pack of Slim N Trim milk will now cost Rs 27, Taaza Rs 30, cow milk Rs 31 and Gold Rs 36. Buffalo milk prices, however, have been raised by Rs 4 per litre to Rs 80. Mother Dairy said toned milk sold through bulk vending machines will now cost Rs 58 per litre, up from Rs 56. Full cream milk in pouches will retail at Rs 72 per litre. The price of toned milk in pouches has been increased from Rs 58 to Rs 60 per litre, while double-toned milk will now cost Rs 54 per litre. Cow milk prices have also been revised upward from Rs 60 to Rs 62 per litre. GCMMF is the world’s largest farmer-owned dairy cooperative with 3.6 million farmers. It markets Amul products in more than 50 countries and collects over 30 million litres of milk daily. The federation distributes more than 24 billion packs of Amul products annually, including milk, butter, cheese, ghee and ice cream. GCMMF reported an 11 per cent rise in turnover to Rs 73,450 crore in the last fiscal, compared to Rs 65,911 crore in the previous year. The total turnover of the Amul brand also crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore milestone in 2025-26, driven by strong demand for dairy products. Mother Dairy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), posted a 17 per cent increase in turnover to Rs 20,300 crore in the last fiscal year. Apart from milk and dairy products sold under the Mother Dairy brand, the company markets edible oils under the Dhara brand and fruits, vegetables, frozen foods, snacks and concentrates under the Safal brand. The company operates nine milk processing plants, four horticulture processing plants and works through 16 associated edible oil plants across the country.
