The Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Association has called on hotels in the capital city to support local dairy brand Nandini and its products amidst Amul’s entry into Karnataka’s dairy market. P C Rao, President of the Association, has directed hotel owners to protect the interests of dairy farmers and women by using Nandini’s milk and curd products instead of Amul’s. The Association will hold a meeting this week to raise awareness among hotel owners about using Nandini’s products and boycotting Amul’s.
The political debate over Amul’s entry has also intensified, with Opposition leaders criticizing the Karnataka government for jeopardizing Nandini’s reputation. In response, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has defended Amul’s entry and played down the possibility of any threat to Nandini’s brand. He urged against making politics out of the situation and instead suggested that the government should work to make Nandini competitive with Amul in the open market.
The cost of Nandini’s milk is Rs 39 compared to Amul Taaza, which is priced at Rs 72 per liter. On Sunday, Congress leader Siddaramaiah criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was visiting Karnataka, for “stealing” Nandini from Kannadigas, accusing him of taking away jobs from the state’s citizens and hurting the prospects of farmers by giving KMF to Amul.