50 YEARS OF KMF: A Dairy Empire

The Karnataka Milk Federation aka KMF, which has been in the recent news for hiking milk prices, had its humble beginnings in a quiet town of Kudige in Kodagu, where the state’s first dairy cooperative was established way back in July 1955. This facility was inaugurated by Lieutenant Colonel Daya Singh Bedi, then Chief Commissioner of Coorg. Despite having dairy cooperatives, the state had to patiently wait for two more decades to witness its own ‘White Revolution’.

Operation Flood & AMUL’s Influence

The whole country witnessed the Anand Cooperative Model that revolutionized the dairy industry in Gujarat and Karnataka was no exception. Inspired by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Verghese Kurien, the Karnataka Dairy Development Corporation (KDDC) was established in 1974, thanks to the aid of World Bank. This was part of ‘Operation Flood’ whose focus was to boost dairy farming across the country.

Karnataka Milk Federation and Nandini:

The KDDC was renamed ‘Karnataka Milk Federation’ (KMF) in 1984 with the first cattle plant coming up in Rajanukunte, Bengaluru. Interestingly, the brand name came into existence only in 1983 when KMF reached out to their customers asking for an appropriate name for the brand and got an overwhelming response in favor of ‘Nandini’.

The Nandini revolution:

The growth of Nandini as the largest dairy co-operative in South India is one for the history books. With 15 milk unions across the state, the federation supports close to 30 lakh farmers in the state. From a turnover of Rs. 8.82 crores in 1976-77 to having a turnover of 20000+ crores in 2025, Nandini is well and truly the most beloved brand in Karnataka. Apart from milk, the plethora of products it has launched from sweets to ice cream to Dose batter, the legacy can never be erased.

Karnataka Ksheera Brahma – Mr. M V Krishnappa:

Mr. M.V.K. who was the Agriculture and Food minister in PM Nehru’s cabinet anticipated that if dairy farming persisted the same way, it would be difficult to supply the demands for milk in urban areas. He brought HF breed heifers from Holland and gave them to farmers to improve native breeds. His efforts greatly increased milk output by extending to breeding activities in hill regions, Mysore, Bangalore, and Mangalore. Due to Mr. M.V.K.'s vision, dairy farming in Karnataka was transformed. As a result of his efforts, BAMUL is currently the state's top milk union. The Hassan Milk Union, which is well-known for producing a significant amount of milk, comes next.

Expansion and Sponsorship:

KMF saw a 14% increase in milk procurement and a 10% increase in milk and dairy product sales in 2024. To increase its reach and compete with other milk brands in South and West India, KMF has also increased its presence in Delhi. KMF sells about 65 lakh litres of liquid milk, including UHT Goodlife and curd, out of the almost one crore litres of milk that are purchased every day. KMF had sponsored the Scotland and Ireland cricket teams for the 2024 T20 World Cup held in USA. This is an effort to not only gain a global footprint but also to market its wide range of products.