Inside India's Premier Dairy: The Success Story of Devendra Shah
A Dairy for the Elite
One of the most prestigious dairies in India, known as Bhagyalakshmi, supplies milk to some of the country's wealthiest families, including the Ambani family, as well as celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Hrithik Roshan, and Akshay Kumar.
The Dairy's Owner
Devendra Shah, the owner of this dairy, claims to be the largest dairy farmer in the country. Initially, he was involved in the clothing business before transitioning to dairy farming. He started with 175 customers under the brand 'Pride of Cow' and has now expanded to over 22,000 customers in Mumbai and Pune, including numerous high-profile clients.
Premium Cattle Breeds
According to a leading website, Shah's farm houses around 4,000 Dutch Holstein cows, each valued between ₹1.75 lakh and ₹2 lakh. In contrast, Indian native breeds are priced between ₹80,000 and ₹90,000.
Significant Investment
Shah has invested approximately ₹150 crore in his dairy farm, which spans 26 acres. The facility produces over 25,000 liters of milk daily and features specialized care for the cows, which has become a topic of discussion among the public.
Caring for the Cows
The cows are provided with rubber mats that are cleaned three times a day, and they drink RO-filtered water. Music plays continuously in the dairy, and the cows are fed a diet of soybean, alfalfa grass, seasonal vegetables, and corn, along with Ayurvedic medicines to maintain their health and control milk fat.
Automated Operations
Remarkably, the entire process from milking to packaging is automated, eliminating the need for human intervention. Each cow's weight and temperature are checked before milking, and any sick cows are sent directly to the hospital. Milk is collected from up to 50 cows at a time, taking just seven minutes.
Efficient Delivery System
Devendra Shah's daughter, Akshali Shah, who heads marketing, explained that milk is delivered to Mumbai via freezing vans that travel 163 kilometers, taking about three and a half hours. Delivery personnel aim to reach customers' homes between 5:30 AM and 7:30 AM.
Customer-Centric Approach
The marketing head emphasized their commitment to customer satisfaction, noting that they accommodate requests for milk deliveries between Pune and Mumbai. Each customer has a unique login ID for the 'Pride of Cow' service, allowing them to modify or cancel orders and change delivery locations.
Growing Dairy Market
According to a report by the Investor Relations Society, the dairy market in India is projected to reach $140 billion (approximately ₹9 lakh crore) by 2020, up from about $70 million (around ₹4.54 lakh crore) in 2013, indicating a rapidly increasing demand in the sector.