CHANAKYA DAIRY PRODUCTS LTD.

Vinod Kumar Dutt, Managing Director of Chanakya Dairy Products Ltd. is relishing the enviable cream of success with their ‘HF Super’ brand of milk and its allied products gaining abiding acceptance… It’s an open secret that Vinod Kumar Dutt is milking his business dry. What’s more evident is that the Managing Director of Chanakya Dairy Products Ltd. (CDPL) is steadily savouring the cream of success too. Fired with ambition and the aim of providing good quality milk to customers on a timely basis, Dutt flagged off business in 1995, post bagging a subsidy of Rs.15 lakhs from a financial institution. However, it was in 2005 that the company bagged a sterling crest. CDPL - an integrated project in dairying - joined forces with M/s Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. setting up its plant at Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab.

The handling capacity of the plant is 2,50,000 litres of milk per day and the CDPL brand - aptly named ‘HF Super’- encompasses pasteurised milk, fermented products, pasteurised butter, pure desi ghee, skimmed milk powder and indigenous milk products such as flavoured milk and paneer among others. Armed with a Rs.10 crore subsidy, Dutt is sanguine of stepping up production to five lakh litres per day within a time span of eight years, apart from diversifying their delectable product portfolio.

Shaky Steps?

“In the first 2-3 years of business, that’s our gestation period, we faced some teething troubles because conditions were so unfavourable that paying our loan installments was getting difficult. Getting workers was a problematic issue because they doubted the stability of employment.”

Prickly Pricing

“In the dairy industry, pricing is the main problem and the Government seems to have no policy in controlling it. Artificial deficit created by suppliers also becomes a major issue. The dairy industry in India generates 30 crore litres of milk per day. The Dairy sector, that is under Agriculture Ministry does not get due priority and decisions are usually time-barred. Dairying should be under an independent Minister to effect timely decisions and obviate any losses.”

CSR Highs

“We have developed a park right outside our company compound. We provide funds for education, food and health issues. There is a twin-school called Govt. Primary & Middle School in a small city wherein we give the students desks, shoes, sweaters and other commodities.”

Winner Formula

“As long as you are sincere and honest with your work and do good work, you will go ahead in life. So you should not hesitate to put your plans into action. If you follow these factors, you will not face any problems. Learn to enjoy your entrepreneurship.”