Dairy entrepreneurship development in North East India: A case study of Friendship Dairy and Agro Product Unit of Manipur

Abstract

India has been the leading producer and consumer of dairy products worldwide since 1998 with sustained growth in the availability of milk and milk products. Dairy activities form an essential part of the rural Indian economy, serving as a critical source of employment and income. The dairy market in India reached a value of INR 10,527 billion in 2019. As of 2020, approximately 4.2 per cent of India’s gross domestic product is due to dairy production. The present study was performed at Friendship Dairy and Agro Product Unit of Manipur to examine the product availability and performance and also to investigate the marketing strategies and analyze the marketing channels. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study The major products of Friendship Dairy are pasteurized toned milk, pasteurized curd, ghee and paneer which are available in different packs and sizes. Highest net sales (Rs. 2,78,78,928.00) and profit (Rs. 5,04,442.00) of Friendship Dairy were recorded in 2018-19. Two prominent marketing channels were identified in the study and marketing channel comprising of Producer – Distributor – Retailer – Consumer was found to be dominant through which nearly 78 per cent of the milk and milk products were moved around the Imphal City. The firm has effective marketing strategies with respect to products, price and promotions, which may help them in running the enterprise successfully for a longer period of time.