“In the year 2001, we established a state-of-the-art dairy plant for the processing of milk. The next step was to reach our consumers through milk packets; this led to the birth of the Tamil Milk brand. Other dairy products like curd, butter, and ghee followed in due course,” says G Kannan, Founder & Managing Director, G K Dairy.
What started off as a fledgling door-to-door milk delivery business in the 70s is now a modern dairy conglomerate. The one thing that has always set G K Dairy apart has been its unwavering commitment to quality and customer relations agriculture runs in the blood of G K Dairy’s founder and MD, G Kannan.
Hailing from an agrarian family, he always dreamt of being a successful entrepreneur in the field he was exposed to growing up. Starting off small, but working hard, Kannan and his two brothers established a milk business by the name of G K Paal Pannai in 1973. Their small-scale business ran on a simple methodology: procure fresh cow milk from farmers in nearby areas and supply the same in milk cans to the surrounding villages.As time wore on and the demand for their milk rose, the company extended its supply to the towns of Kumbakonam and Mayiladuthurai.
Speaking of their early days, K Thiyagarajan, Executive Director, G K Dairy, says, “At the inception, we used to supply milk to our customers twice every day, with them expecting the delivery at their doorstep first thing in the morning. Our suppliers were urged to adhere to customer expectations as far as possible. The advent of refrigeration in every house has changed things now.”
Over the last decade and a half, the dairy sector has undergone many changes, moving the market towards greater industrialization. Up until the early 90s, dairy products consisted primarily of milk, curd, butter, and ghee. There is a paradigm shift being witnessed in urban and rural areas today. The consumption of processed milk products has increased significantly.
The industry processes raw milk into an array of products such as butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, condensed milk, dried milk, ice cream, etc, and produces various by-products including buttermilk, whey, ghee, and skimmed milk. When they were starting out, spoilage during the course of marketing the milk to other districts was a big challenge. This led to the utilization of a Puff insulated vehicle for milk transportation and the training of all dealers
G K Dairy’s list of achievements may be long, but the organization holds these successes dearest: developing and popularising Tamil Milk as its brand name; expanding its reach to nine districts of the State; the construction of a grand corporate office in 2019, and the extension of its dairy by-product line.
In the year 2001, we established a state-of-the-art dairy plant for the processing of milk. The next step was to reach our consumers through milk packets; this led to the birth of the Tamil Milk brand. Other dairy products like curd, butter, and ghee followed in due course distributors in the maintenance of optimal cooling.
Reminiscing about the company’s first success, Kannan says, “In 1986, our dairy implemented a coupon system for milk purchase. Customers were asked to provide a monthly milk payment in advance, be allotted a coupon for the same, and enjoy a cashless purchase for the remainder of that period. This system proved very successful in and around the Kumbakonam and Mayiladuthurai area. It is important to note that none of this would have been remotely possible without the trust reposed in us by our invaluable clientele.”
G K Dairy’s list of achievements may be long, but the organization holds these successes dearest: developing and popularising Tamil Milk as its brand name; expanding its reach to nine districts of the State; the construction of a grand corporate office in 2019; and the extension of its dairy by-product line. They were conferred the prestigious ‘Excellence in Dairy Industry Award’ in 2016 by former Chief Minister of Puducherry, N Rangaswamy.
In addition to receiving multiple honors relating to the food industry in Thanjavur, the organization has been recognized and certified by the Food Safety Department of the district.
G K Dairy targets a wide customer base by marketing four distinct kinds of milk – each varying in its respective fat content. These are Cow Milk, Toned Milk (3 percent fat), Standardised Milk (4.5 percent fat), Full Cream Milk (6 percent fat). The company aspires to launch all dairy products in the future.” We will soon inaugurate our milk parlor in Kumbakonam. We plan to follow a franchise model for all our milk parlors across Tamil Nadu,” says Thiyagarajan.
