Based out of Laval, France, the roots of the family owned business can be traced back to 1933 when André Besnier produced the fi rst 17 camembert in Laval, using 35 litres of milk collected from the surrounding area. In the years that followed, the company grew by leaps and bounds to emerge as world’s biggest dairy company today.
In 2014, Groupe Lactalis entered India after acquiring, the leading South Indian dairy production company Thirumala Milk Products Private Limited. Continuing its spree, the group soon took over the reins of other leading dairy companies in India including Anik Industries and Prabhat Dairy in 2016 and 2019 respectively.
In India, the group now sells through its regional brands Tirumala, Anik, Prabhat as well as its international brands President and Lactel. Especially for the domestic market, the traditional and cultural experience of the domestic brands and the international expertise of Lactalis has formed a unique and formidable combination, leading to a success story to be talked by
generations to come.
Globally, the group sells products in over 180 countries and has 250 production sites across 50 countries. Each brand in Groupe Lactalis portfolio is positioned uniquely. But all these brands are underpinned by the common theme of superior product quality and international standards. All brands owned by Groupe Lactalis guarantees the best in quality and technology to its customers.
“Dairy is one of the fastest growing sectors in India and is getting organized at a rapid pace. The market has witnessed a steady switch from unbranded to branded dairy products. Consumer sentiments are also evolving at a rapid pace. The modern consumer is switching to packed dairy products very fast and is adopting a slew of non-indigenous products like cheese, UHT milk, etc. In response to these changing preferences, we have introduced President cheese & Lactel UHT Milk. There are many more products in pipeline which will be launched in coming months. Portfolio expansion across Tirumala, Anik & Prabhat is happening at a rapid pace,” says Rahul Kumar, MD, Lactalis India.
A Wide Product Offering
Collectively under the Indian brands Tirumala, Anik, Prabhat and international brands President and Lactel, the group offers a wide range of products in all dairy categories from short shelf life products to long shelf life products. The portfolio of the short shelf life products offered by the Indian brands include fresh milk, curd, buttermilk, paneer and long shelf life products include ghee, milk powders, etc. In beverages, the company offers fl avoured milk, lassi, buttermilk in different formats and fl avours along with Tirumala ice creams.
Through its international brands, Groupe Lactalis offers butter, cheese and UHT milk. Both the brands ‘President and Lactel’ are leading players in their respective segments. President is France’s number one brand of cheese and Lactel is France’s no.1 brand in milk. The group also has plans of introducing a wide range of new products through these brands in India.
Retail Presence
Groupe Lactalis sells products in over 180 countries. In India, the group covers all aspects of RTM from fresh milk, B2C, B2B across India with portfolio of brands. While Tirumala is a favourite in South India, Prabhat covers West India and Anik covers North and East India. President and Lactel are available pan India. Groupe Lactalis considers India as a future market. As of now, the group has done 3 successful acquisitions in the Indian market. With launch of its global leader brands President and Lactel, Groupe Lactalis has successfully brought international fl avours into the Indian market.
Future Plans
India has proven to be an extremely successful market for Groupe Lactalis. Groupe Lactalis is developing its own franchise operated distribution centres across markets which specializes in selling short shelf life products. The group is also developing the infrastructure at these stores to handle chilled and frozen products.
In the near future, Groupe Lactalis has plans of building an even stronger portfolio of the products under the regional and international brands. Lactalis is planning to develop a stronger distribution footprint across the country and introducing new range of products that cater to the evolving needs of the modern consumer.
