India’s first camel milk brand Aadvik Foods is set to disrupt the dairy and organic milk products market.

New Delhi based company started its journey in 2016 with just one litre of camel milk. Today, it is procuring around 10,000 litres a month, having sold over 2 lakh litres over the last three-and-half years.

Production target

Shrey Kumar, Co-founder, Aadvik Foods, told BusinessLine that the company is targeting a 30 to 35 per cent increase in milk production by the close of the current fiscal.

Stating that the market for such dairy products has started to pick up not just in India but globally as well, Kumar pointed out that since the milk in the liquid form is highly perishable, the company packaged camel milk (deep freeze) under specialised guidelines, which helped extend its shelf life up to 60 days in frozen form and nine months in powdered form.

Value-added products

The company has since forayed into making value-added camel milk products such as milk powder, chocolates and skin care items. “These products have high demand,” he added.

The company routes its product range via e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Flipkart, Bigbasket, Shopclues, Snapdeal and Doodhwala extensively.

On procurement, Kumar conceded that it has not been easy. “There are lots of logistical constraints in transporting the milk. The farmers have to be trained in animal hygiene and consistency in milk supply, for not all camels produce milk; we found that only those in deep pockets in Rajasthan desert and a few in Gujarat lactate. But most farmers were either using the animal as a transportation tool or selling the animal for its meat.”

“We have since created awareness for the milk. Farmers, who earlier looked at the ship of the desert as a dead-load have now started to buy camel. Around 50 camel farmers have registered to supply milk on a regular basis.”

Pricing

On pricing, he said, “We check the international price movement. We started selling pasteurised camel milk at ₹600/litre. It has now fallen to ₹400/litre. The milk powder was priced at ₹7,500/kg two years ago. This has slipped to ₹5,500/kg at present.”

Aadvik Foods, according to Kumar, is planning to market goat milk and goat milk powder too.