Schreiber Dynamix aims to become USD500 million company by 2021

Tech-enabled direct-to-home startup in the healthy farm-fresh dairy & breakfast foods category, Happy Nature, has recently closed a pre series A round of Rs 6 CR.

The brand is an ideation of four founders and ex-IIT / XLRI / AIM alumni: Vishal Rastogi, Vikas Singh, Sahil Chopra and Parth Birendra.

Amol Khanna representing Transaction Square and his team were the financial advisors, while J.Sagar Associates (JSA), comprising Lalit Kumar, Partner, Kumarmanglam Vijay, Partner and Head (Direct Tax), Amandeep Singh Virk, Principal Associate, Shiv Singhal and Pallavi Mall, Associates, was the legal advisor.

“We are at an ARR of 18cr in FY22 and have closed a pre series A round of Rs 6 CR through a family office and angel investors. With a current customer base of over 40,000 with over 6,000 daily orders, we are looking to take this customer base to over 1.5 lakh and daily orders to over 15,000 taking their ARR to 40 CR in the next 12 months” said co-founder Vikas Singh.

“With this round of funding will give us the much-required boost to focus on both mass media as well as tactical digital campaigns by creating a differentiated brand identity through lively packaging, interactive social media presence, and a strong focus on customer delight,” added co-founder Sahil Chopra.

Happy Nature was formed with the vision to serve the purest dairy and breakfast products to discerning customers in a convenient and efficient manner.

Recalling the initial days, co-founder Parth Birendra enthused, “this wasn’t a fancy tech start-up which investors would just lap up by watching a pitch deck. This was a hard core product business which required the hard yards to be put in and results to be shown before an investor would even bat an eye lid”.

In less than 24 months, revenues have grown by 500% and the brand is getting noticed in the market both by customers and investors.

“We did everything by ourselves, right from production to marketing to delivery to solving customer issues. This first-hand experience of doing everything from ground up has given us the confidence to take this brand to the highest level” said co-founder Vishal Rastogi

America’s leading dairy technology, services, and intelligence provider, Dairy.com, has made its first investment in India with the acquisition of Mr. Milkman, India's leading last-mile dairy supply chain SaaS platform.

The company has acquired a 100% stake in Mr. Milkman to strengthen its integrated supply chain solution offerings for dairies worldwide.

The two companies will use their combined agribusiness technologies, development resources, and industry expertise to enable and innovate last-mile dairy supply chain solutions for markets in India and abroad. 

“Indian dairy sector and milk brands in India will need to employ technology at every level, right from procurement of milk to last mile delivery in order to grow and be successful. Milk brands in India and around the world operate on slim margins, and since milk prices have a cap, the only way to grow profits is to become more efficient – which can only happen through the implementation of technology,” said Samarth Sethia, CEO & Co- Founder, Mr. Milkman.

India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of milk and dairy products. Dairy is one of the most sizable agribusinesses in India, and the industry is valued at Rs. 11, 357 billion. Additionally, there is huge growth potential with value-added products such as cheese, yogurt, probiotic drinks, flavored milk, ice cream, and other products in the segment. 

Already used by over 60+ Indian dairy brands, Mr. Milkman enables dairy food product companies to efficiently manage multiple aspects of dairy distribution, supply chain, customer subscriptions, and delivery requests. In addition to being cost-effective to implement, Mr. Milkman is a pre-built alternative to food delivery aggregator apps and includes payment processing capabilities.  Mr. Milkman works with Akshayakalpa, Gyan Dairy, Whyte Farms, Abis Dairy, Carnival Group, Fortune Dairy, Binsar Farms, Nutrimoo, Healthways, and many others in India.

In the future, the combined entity will look to optimize and digitize several areas of the agriculture supply chain in India, North America, and Europe

Dairy brand Crèmeitalia is set to launch its latest product – Natural Cream Cheese that will be available across the country from February 15.

Made with high-quality dairy and no emulsifying salts, Crèmeitalia’s new Natural Cream Cheese comes in a creamier, smoother and fluffier texture. The soft, rich cheese is a staple on the breakfast table and makes for a perfect dip or spread for savoury dishes. It can also double up as a great dessert ingredient.

Crèmeitalia’s Natural Cream Cheese will be sold in packs of 200gms and priced at Rs 305, with a shelf life of two months from the date of manufacture.

It will be available on the shelves of India’s premier food stores, including The Baker’s Dozen, Foodhall, Nature’s Basket, Benzer, and Lavender.

Customers can also order deliveries online from the brand’s own website and retailers like Big Basket and Swiggy.

Crèmeitalia is a Mumbai-based high-quality dairy products brand. Their offerings currently include Sour Cream and a variety of cheeses – from the always-popular Mozzarella to Ricotta, Pizza Cheese, Scarmorza, Mascarpone, Burrata and loads more.

Mother Dairy has forayed into the Indore market. With this, the dairy brand is strengthening its footprint in Tier-II cities.

The company will be selling four milk variants through 1,500 outlets spread across Indore.

Vinod Chopra, Business Head (Milk), Mother Dairy, said, “Our entry into the market of Indore is in line with our vision of having a national footprint, complementing our presence in over 100 cities of India.”

“The newly launched milk range in Indore market is sourced from the regions of in & around Madhya Pradesh and is being processed and hygienically packed in an associated plant in Dewas,” he added.

Mother Dairy’s Story

Incorporated in 1974, Mother Dairy is a pioneer in the dairy industry. It began as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The brand was created under the Operation Flood Initiative, the world’s largest program for dairy development, targeted at making India a milk sufficient nation.

At present, there are around 1400 retail outlets and around 1000 exclusive outlets of Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Private Limited.

The company sells milk and milk products under the ‘Mother Dairy’ brand. Its edible oils are marketed under the ‘Dhara’ brand, while fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, unpolished pulses, honey, organic range of products are sold under the ‘Safal’ brand.

Indian dairy market

In India, the growth story of the dairy market is driven largely by small-scale dairy farmers. The dairy market in the country is amongst the largest and fastest growing markets in the world.

The things that offer further impetus to India’s dairy industry include growing private sector investment in dairy farming, supply chain, processing facilities, and backward integration.

In India, the demand for dairy products is likely to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by more consumers, higher incomes and greater interest in nutrition. The demand for quality dairy products is increasing and production is also rising in many developing countries. Consumption of processed and packaged dairy products is growing in urban areas.

Due to the increasing competition from the private sector, several national and international brands have forayed into the dairy market and expanded consumers’ expectation of quality.

India's leading private sector dairy company, Hatsun Agro Product Ltd has strengthened its portfolio with the launch of new dairy products.

The company’s new range in the sunrise segment consists of Hatsun Yoghurt Shake and Hatsun Cheese Spread with a string of other new products under research & development for suiting the Indian taste palette.

The Yoghurt Shake is available in Mango, Strawberry and Blueberry flavours, while the cheese spread comes in an innovative 50-gram packaging priced at Rs 20.

RG Chandramogan, Chairman and MD, Hatsun Agro Product Ltd, said, "The dairy product segment has evolved in India with yoghurt products being preferred by customers as a good snacking option. HAP has strengthened its portfolio with the launch of new yoghurt and cheese products in this segment, keeping in mind the discerning needs of the millennial consumers who are willing to experiment, health conscious, prefer convenience and taste." 

"HAP is focused on growth and expanding its retail presence in many states. We are growing rapidly in Maharashtra and our own retail outlet count will reach around 125 by June 2019. Our retail outlets augment our customer touch points and will cater to the daily needs of our customers," he further stated.

Amul, Asia’s largest dairy brand, will be the prime sponsor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup.

Throughout the World Cup from May 30 to July 14, Amul's logo will be appearing on the leading arm of Afghanistan team’s playing jerseys as well as on the training kits.

Dr. RS Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), said, “We are excited about being associated with Afghanistan Cricket for the first time and Amul is hopeful that this team, rated as the fastest growing team in International cricket, will deliver an outstanding performance in the World Cup.” 

“Amul and Afghanistan share an old association. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as Frontier Gandhi had visited Amul in 1969 and had met Dr V. Kurien and studied the activities of our dairy cooperative. Subsequently, several delegations of women milk producers from Afghanistan have visited Amul,” he added.

Asadullah Khan, CEO of Afghanistan Cricket Board, stated, “This is a big moment for Afghanistan cricket and we are extremely happy that Amul will sponsor us for the World Cup. This is the first time we will play in the World Cup as a full member and the preparations are good. We hope to do well.”

Keventers, a leading Indian dairy brand, has introduced a range of four sundaes pan-India. The sundae range comprises of four variants including Yin and Yang, Guilty Pleasure, Forbidden Forest and The Dark Conspiracy. 

This specially-curated range of Sundaes is priced between Rs 199 and Rs 249 (exclusive of taxes). It will be served in reusable glass bowls which one can easily take home.

With this launch, the dairy brand has expanded its product portfolio.

Tarun Bhasin, Chief Executive Officer, Keventers, said, "Guest experience is our obsession, and we pledge to delight the guest at every moment of truth. We are constantly trying to innovate and create new products and flavours for our guest's palate."

"Keventers is thrilled to add this new range of sundaes to our product portfolio and are confident that our loyalists will love these as much as our shakes," he added.

India’s dairy manufacturer Ananda today said it plans to invest Rs 10 crore to launch about 150 stores in Kanpur by financial year 2018-19, as part of its Rs 500 crore investments committed in Uttar Pradesh.

In addition to its six already present in the city, Ananda has revealed two company owned company operated (COCO) stores.

The company, which is stepping up for expanding its retail presence rapidly to augment its market share, last month announced opening 500 retail COCO outlets by the end of next fiscal in states like Delhi-NCR, Haryana, UP and Punjab.

"We see a huge potential in the Kanpur market and are certain that the city will play a huge role in our expansion plans for Uttar Pradesh," Ananda Group Chairman Radhey Shyam Dixit said.

The company expressed its plans to launch an average of 10 COCO stores on a monthly basis.

Headquartered in Noida, Ananda has a current production capacity of over 12 lakh litres of milk a day. It sells over 50 products and has presence in most of the diary products, except ice creams.

Dairy firm Hatsun Agro Product Ltd, one of the country's largest ice cream maker, plans to expand in Maharashtra and may look at acquiring a greenfield project or farm in the state to do so, said a top company executive.

Chennai-based Hatsun, which started off as an ice cream company in the 1970s and later expanded into milk and other dairy products, currently retails a majority of its wares in four states—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

It began procuring milk from Maharashtra last year but sells milk only in a few pockets of the state. It now plans to expand in the state by selling milk under its Arokya brand more widely, starting with southern Maharashtra.

The firm is also looking at retailing its oldest brand – Arun ice creams–and Hatsun curd in the state.

R.G. Chandramogan, Chairman and Managing Director, Hatsun, said, "We are looking for a greenfield project, a farm, in Maharashtra. If somebody is available for a takeover there, we may look at it. When we buy a company, we prefer buying a company of a smaller size where restructuring can be done according to our requirements so we can modify the procurement system, the distribution model and advertising."

Hatsun Agro currently has 1,200 outlets and is adding another 1,800 outlets in a phased manner over the next 15 months.

Chandramogan said, "This year we’ve already invested about Rs460 crore. Next year our capex will be about Rs 390 crore – so Rs 850 crore in two years was the expansion plan. This has gone into strengthening our marketing network, expanding production capacities and streamlining of our procurement."

Dairy firm Hatsun Agro Product Ltd, one of the country's largest ice cream maker, plans to expand in Maharashtra and may look at acquiring a greenfield project or farm in the state to do so, said a top company executive.

Chennai-based Hatsun, which started off as an ice cream company in the 1970s and later expanded into milk and other dairy products, currently retails a majority of its wares in four states—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

It began procuring milk from Maharashtra last year but sells milk only in a few pockets of the state. It now plans to expand in the state by selling milk under its Arokya brand more widely, starting with southern Maharashtra.

The firm is also looking at retailing its oldest brand – Arun ice creams–and Hatsun curd in the state.

R.G. Chandramogan, Chairman and Managing Director, Hatsun, said, "We are looking for a greenfield project, a farm, in Maharashtra. If somebody is available for a takeover there, we may look at it. When we buy a company, we prefer buying a company of a smaller size where restructuring can be done according to our requirements so we can modify the procurement system, the distribution model and advertising."

Hatsun Agro currently has 1,200 outlets and is adding another 1,800 outlets in a phased manner over the next 15 months.

Chandramogan said, "This year we’ve already invested about Rs460 crore. Next year our capex will be about Rs 390 crore – so Rs 850 crore in two years was the expansion plan. This has gone into strengthening our marketing network, expanding production capacities and streamlining of our procurement."

Danone, a global food company with a mission 'to bring health through food to as many people as possible', has announced plans to strengthen its Nutrition business in India starting with the launch of its globally popular Infant formula brand Aptamil.

Rodrigo Lima, Managing Director, Danone India said, "The introduction of Aptamil range in India is a landmark step since this is the first time we are bringing our global infant formula products range to India. We have aggressive plans to introduce many new products in India this year to strengthen our Nutrition portfolio. At Danone we ensure that our products are tailored to meet the nutritional needs of different consumer groups, based on the latest science and local nutritional insights."

He added, "For us Make in India is central to our growth strategy and Aptamil will also be manufactured in India at our world class facility at Lalru, Punjab. We have invested over Rs 150 cr to upgrade the machinery at this plant that we acquired from Wockhardt in 2012."

Danone engages with farmers in Punjab through a Program on Sustainable dairy farming to improve the quality of milk and ensure a sustainable supply of good quality milk.

Dairy products business is on the rising spree in the country with brands such as Amul, Paras, Saras performing exponentially well. Mother Dairy, one of the leading players in dairy products business is eyeing to clock a bounty of Rs 10,000 crore in sales by FY2018.

Explaining company’s business plan, one of the top executive of the company stated that Mother Dairy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), expects to clock a turnover of Rs 10,000 crore by FY18 from the sales revenue of around Rs 7,000 crore in FY16, mostly driven by the rising demand for milk and milk products.

Echoing the same voice, Sandeep Ghosh, Business Head-Milk, Mother Dairy said that brand will hit a turnover of Rs 10,000 crore by fiscal 2017-18 on the back of geographical and product expansion as well as new product development. This fiscal, the company expects to do a business of some Rs 8,500 crore.

As a part of its business strategy, company is chalking down the plans to venture and explore the markets of Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad and Nashik and also of some other cities of Maharashtra. With its new plant coming up in Biwandi, Maharashtra (estimated cost of the project is Rs 100 crore), Mother Dairy is looking very positive to setup its strong hold in the region. It is also planning to equip its product range with new existing products that can help the company to explore markets of new avenues such as Bihar, Odihsa and Southern India.

Recently, the brand introduced cow milk in Hyderabad which is a brave move, considering the market of the city where people are more inclined towards buffalo milk. Yes, though the market for cow milk is not very large here, we might see demand picking up in couple of years with more awareness about the benefits of cow milk, Ghosh stated.