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Ten Bengaluru Metro stations will soon host Amul kiosks, following a licence agreement signed between the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), which markets its products under the Amul brand, Moneycontrol reported. BMRCL made the announcement in its newsletter released on June 16.
“These kiosks will sell the entire range of Amul’s dairy products, chocolate, potato-based snacks, organic products, and edible oils. Now Metro commuters can buy milk, chocolates, ice cream, instant food products, and snacks of their choice,” BMRCL said.
The kiosks will be established at Pattandur Agrahara, Indiranagar, Benniganahalli, Baiyappanahalli, Trinity, Sir M Visvesvaraya, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station (Majestic), National College, Jayanagar, and Banashankari.
The report said that the initiative is part of BMRCL’s broader effort to boost non-fare box revenue through retail outlets, advertising, semi-naming rights, and other avenues. The metro authority recently increased fares by up to 71 percent, prompting renewed focus on diversifying revenue sources.
However, the entry of Amul into Karnataka’s retail space, especially through metro infrastructure, may reignite the long standing controversy between Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and its Gujarat counterpart.
In the run-up to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, Amul’s move into Bengaluru had triggered a sharp backlash from the Congress, which was then in opposition. The party had accused the BJP-led state government of facilitating the Gujarat-based cooperative’s expansion at the expense of Karnataka’s own dairy ecosystem and its lakhs of farmers.
The KMF, which markets its products under the ‘Nandini’ brand, had also objected to Amul’s entry into the state, terming it unethical. KMF, the country’s second-largest dairy cooperative after Amul, argued that Karnataka’s dairy sector was self-sufficient and had surplus production that was already being exported to other states. In response to Amul’s expansion, KMF increased its footprint in states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
While Amul and KMF have long competed in cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, and Nagpur, they had previously avoided directly selling milk in each other’s home states.
