Amul veteran RS Sodhi can help Reliance foray into dairy market: Report

Recent reports have speculated that Reliance is planning on making a foray into the Indian dairy market following the hiring of erstwhile Amul veteran RS Sodhi who served as the Managing Director of the dairy giant. According to Reliance, Sodhi has been appointed as an advisor so that the conglomerate can expand its fresh fruits and vegetables arm and assimilate it with its grocery branch.

Earlier this year, Sodhi resigned from his Managing Director role at Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the parent of India’s biggest dairy brand, Amul, after serving for four decades. Sodhi worked for a long span under the aegis of Dr Verghese Kurian, who spearheaded the dairy cooperative project in India. He is presently also presiding over the country’s largest dairy regulator – the Indian Dairy Association.

At Amul, Sodhi encouraged dairy farmers to substantially boost milk procurement and provided technical assistance and monetary incentives for the same. This led to an increase in output by 171 percent from 91 lakh liters per day in 2009-10 to 250 lakh liters in 2020-21. In the same time frame, the federation’s profits grew by 390 percent. The former MD also played a vital role in rolling out more than 200 new offerings during his stint at Amul.

Reliance’s dairy business was launched in 2007 by the conglomerate under a couple of brands – Dairy Life and Dairy Pure. After a decade, Reliance sold its dairy business to Heritage Foods. However, the Indian company is reportedly planning to reenter India’s dairy industry as the sector is set to boom further as per predictions by industry experts.

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