ITC expands dairy business in East India with value-added products | Dairy Business Middle East & Africa

INDIA – ITC has announced it is expanding its fresh dairy business in Eastern India, with a focus on branded milk and value-added products across Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

ITC entered the fresh dairy market in 2018 with Aashirvaad milk in Bihar and later expanded into West Bengal and Jharkhand. Its portfolio now includes fresh milk, curd, paneer, lassi and Mishti Doi.

As part of its expansion strategy, ITC has tailored its dairy portfolio to regional tastes, local consumption patterns and evolving consumer preference for quality-assured dairy products.

Hemant Malik, Chief Executive Officer, Foods Division, and Executive Director, ITC, said Eastern India will remain a key market for the company’s dairy expansion.

“East is one of the most promising growth markets for the dairy category and will be central to our growth strategy in the coming years”. 

Bihar remains an important opportunity for the company, with more than 80 percent of consumers purchasing loose milk. ITC is targeting this market by expanding packaged milk and value-added products such as pouch curd.

Malik stated, “In South India, consumers moved to branded curd over a decade ago, and we wanted to enable a similar transition in Bihar. With our pouch curd offerings, we are helping consumers shift to branded curd that delivers assured quality and consistency, backed by the trust of ITC”. 

Moreover, in the value-added segment, ITC is evaluating innovative and healthier dessert options as it seeks to broaden its portfolio beyond products such as Mishti Doi.

For ITC, the dairy business is one of the fastest-growing categories witnessing high double-digit growth.

It currently operates dairy manufacturing facilities at Munger, Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya in Bihar, Ranchi in Jharkhand, and Howrah and Bardhaman in West Bengal.

“The overarching objective of the project is to increase milk productivity and improve the quality of milk, while empowering rural farmers and increasing their income,” it said.

According to the company’s latest annual report, its ‘Aashirvaad Svasti’ fresh dairy portfolio maintained strong growth during FY26, aided by the strengthening of its premium milk variant ‘Select’ and robust growth in value-added products such as curd, paneer, Mishti Doi and lassi.

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