Amul plans Rs.5,000 crore investment, to set up 10 new plants

Indian milk products major Amul Thursday said it is planning to invest in excess of Rs.5,000 crore in the coming three years to increase milk production as well as acquire new processing capabilities besides expanding into new markets.

"We will require Rs 5,000 crore over three years in adding new capacities, ramping up existing facilities and entering new markets," managing director R.S. Sodhi told media persons here.

The company has plans to increase its milk processing capability by 90 lakh litres in the coming years and will be coming up with ten new milk processing units across the country. Sodhi said the existing plants will also be upgraded to meet the production target.

Gujarat will be the major beneficiary of the expansion plans of the company. It will set up five new plants in that state and one each in Faridabad in Haryana, Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata in West Bengal. Gujarat already houses 41 units of the 51 plants of Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation owned dairy farm.

The new plant in Sankrail near the state capital will attract an investment of Rs. 250 crore from the company and will have a capacity of 15 litres each day. It will be spread across 16 acres of land.

Sodhi said the dairy company will focus on manufacture of milk products, beverages and ice cream in the upcoming plant in the city.

"The new investments will help attaining Rs.50,000 crore turnover in 2-3 years from Rs.18,000 crore as on March 2014," he said.

It is expecting to close the ongoing fiscal year over Rs.21,500 crore.