The Birth of Amul

It all began when milk became a symbol of protest Founded in 1946 to stop the exploitation by middlemen Inspired by the freedom movement

The seeds of this unusual saga were sown more than 65 years back in Anand, a small town in the state of Gujarat in western India. The exploitative trade practices followed by the local trade cartel triggered off the cooperative movement. Angered by unfair and manipulative practices followed by the trade, the farmers of the district approached the great Indian patriot Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for a solution. He advised them to get rid of middlemen and form their own co-operative, which would have procurement, processing and marketing under their control.

In 1946, the farmers of this area went on a milk strike refusing to be cowed down by the cartel. Under the inspiration of Sardar Patel, and the guidance of leaders like Morarji Desai and Tribhuvandas Patel, they formed their own cooperative in 1946.

This co-operative, the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd. began with just two village dairy co-operative societies and 247 litres of milk and is today better known as Amul Dairy. Amul grew from strength to strength thanks to the inspired leadership of Tribhuvandas Patel, the founder Chairman and the committed professionalism of Dr Verghese Kurien,who was entrusted the task of running the dairy from 1950.

The then Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri decided that the same approach should become the basis of a National Dairy Development policy. He understood that the success of Amul could be attributed to four important factors. The farmers owned the dairy, their elected representatives managed the village societies and the district union, they employed professionals to operate the dairy and manage its business. Most importantly, the co-operatives were sensitive to the needs of farmers and responsive to their demands.

At his instance in 1965 the National Dairy Development Board was set up with the basic objective of replicating the Amul model. Dr. Kurien was chosen to head the institution as its Chairman and asked to replicate this model throughout the country.

The Amul Model

The Amul Model of dairy development is a three-tiered structure with the dairy cooperative societies at the village level federated under a milk union at the district level and a federation of member unions at the state level.

Establishment of a direct linkage between milk producers and consumers by eliminating middlemen

Milk Producers (farmers) control procurement, processing and marketing

Professional management

The Amul model has helped India to emerge as the largest milk producer in the world. More than 13 million milk producers pour their milk in 1,28,799 dairy cooperative societies across the country. Their milk is processed in 176 District Co-operative Unions and marketed by 22 State Marketing Federations, ensuring a better life for millions.

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), is India's largest food product marketing organisation with annual turnover (2010-11) US$ 2.2 billion. Its daily milk procurement is approx 12 million lit (peak period) per day from 15,712 village milk cooperative societies, 17 member unions covering 24 districts, and 3 million milk producer members.

It is the Apex organisation of the Dairy Cooperatives of Gujarat, popularly known as 'AMUL', which aims to provide remunerative returns to the farmers and also serve the interest of consumers by providing quality products which are good value for money. Its success has not only been emulated in India but serves as a model for rest of the World. It is exclusive marketing organisation of 'Amul' and 'Sagar' branded products. It operates through 47 Sales Offices and has a dealer network of 5000 dealers and 10 lakh retailers, one of the largest such networks in India. Its product range comprises milk, milk powder, health beverages, ghee, butter, cheese, Pizza cheese, Ice-cream, Paneer, chocolates, and traditional Indian sweets, etc

GCMMF is India's largest exporter of Dairy Products. It has been accorded a "Trading House" status. Many of

our products are available in USA, Gulf Countries, Singapore, The Philippines, Japan, China and Australia. GCMMF has received the APEDA Award from Government of India for Excellence in Dairy Product Exports for the last 13 years. For the year 2009-10, GCMMF has been awarded "Golden Trophy' for its outstanding export performance and contribution in dairy products sector by APEDA.

For its consistent adherence to quality, customer focus and dependability, GCMMF has received numerous awards and accolades over the years. It received the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award in1999 in Best of All Category. In 2002 GCMMF bagged India's Most Respected Company Award instituted by Business World. In 2003, it was awarded the The IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality Award - 2003 for adopting noteworthy quality management practices for logistics and procurement. GCMMF is the first and only Indian organisation to win topmost International Dairy Federation Marketing Award for probiotic ice cream launch in 2007.

The Amul brand is not only a product, but also a movement. It is in one way, the representation of the economic freedom of farmers. It has given farmers the courage to dream. To hope. To live.

GCMMF - An Overview

Year of Establishment 1973

Members17 District Cooperative Milk Producers' Unions (15 Members & 2 Nominal Members)

No. of Producer Members 3.03 Million

No. of Village Societies 15,712

Total Milk handling capacity per day

13.67 Million litres per day

Milk Collection (Total - 2010-11) 3.45 billion litres

Milk collection (Daily Average 2010-11)

9.2 million litres (peak 12 million)

Milk Drying Capacity 647 Mts. per day

Cattlefeed manufacturing Capacity 3690 Mts. per day

Sales Turnover -(2010-11) Rs. 9774 Crores (US $2.2 Billion)

CRISIL Rating for GCMMF

Our Member Unions1. Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Anand2. Mehsana District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd, Mehsana3. Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Himatnagar4. Banaskantha District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Palanpur5. Surat District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Surat6. Baroda District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Vadodara7. Panchmahal District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Godhra8. Valsad District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Valsad9. Bharuch District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Bharuch10. Ahmedabad District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Ahmedabad11. Rajkot District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Rajkot12. Gandhinagar District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Gandhinagar13. Surendranagar District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd., Surendranagar14. Amreli District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., Amreli 15. Bhavnagar District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., Bhavnagar

Sales Turnover Rs (million) US $ (in million)

1994-95 11140 355

Sales Turnover Rs (million) US $ (in million)

1995-96 13790 400

1996-97 15540 450

1997-98 18840 455

1998-99 22192 493

1999-00 22185 493

2000-01 22588 500

2001-02 23365 500

2002-03 27457 575

2003-04 28941 616

2004-05 29225 672

2005-06 37736 850

2006-07 42778 1050

2007-08 52554 1325

2008-09 67113 1504

2009-10 80053 1700

2010-11 97742 2172

The Product Range

Breadspreads Amul Butter, Amul Lite, Delicious Table Margarine

Cheese RangeAmul Pasteurized Processed Cheddar Cheese, Amul Processed Cheese Spread, Amul Pizza (Mozarella) Cheese,Amul Emmental Cheese, Amul Gouda Cheese, Amul Malai Paneer (cottage cheese), Utterly Delicious Pizza

Fresh MilkAmul Gold Full Cream Milk 6% fat, Amul Shakti Standardised Milk 4.5% Fat, Amul Taaza Toned Milk 3% fat,Amul Slim & Trim, Amul Cow Milk

UHT Milk RangeAmul Gold 4.5% fat Milk, Amul Shakti 3% fat Milk, Amul Taaza 1.5% fat Milk, Amul Lite Slim-n-Trim Milk, Amul Fresh Cream

Milk PowdersAmul Full Cream Milk Powder, Amulya Dairy Whitener, Sagar Skimmed Milk Powder, Amulspray Infant Milk Food, Sagar Tea and Coffee Whitener

Milk DrinkAmul Kool Flavoured Milk, Amul Kool Café, Amul Kool Koko,Amul Kool Millk Shaake, Amul Kool Chocolate Milk,Nutramul Energy Drink

Health Drink Stamina Instant Energy Drink

Brown Beverage Nutramul Malted Milk Food

Curd ProductsAmul Masti Dahi (fresh curd), Amul Masti Spiced Butter Milk,Amul Lassee, Amul Flaavyo Yoghurt

Pure Ghee Amul Pure Ghee, Sagar Pure Ghee

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Amul Mithaimate

Mithaee Range (Ethnic Sweets)

Amul Shrikhand, Amul Mithaee Gulabjamuns, Amul Basundi,Avsar Ladoos

Ice-cream Sundae Range, probiotic,,sugarfree and probiotic

Chocolate & ConfectioneryAmul Milk Chocolate, Amul Fruit & Nut Chocolate, Amul Chocozoo, Amul Bindass, Amul Fundoo