New Delhi, May 13 -- Amul and Mother Dairy - India's largest dairy product retailers - on Wednesday hiked milk prices by Rs 2 per litre, intensifying inflationary pressures already fuelled by the war and squeezing household budgets.
The increase, the second by the two dairy cooperatives in 13 months, is expected to prompt similar hikes by regional dairy companies.
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets milk and milk products under the Amul brand, in a statement, said it has "increased the prices of fresh pouch milk by Rs 2 per litre in major milk-selling variants/packs across India effective from May 14".
Separately, Mother Dairy said it has revised the consumer prices of its liquid milk variants by Rs 2 per litre, effective Thursday.
The last price increase by GCMMF was on May 1, 2025, while Mother Dairy had raised rates in April 2025.
The price increase by India's two largest organised milk retailers will add to food inflation, which has risen in recent weeks due to the conflict in West Asia.
GCMMF said the increase in prices translates to about 2.5-3.5 per cent per litre, which is lower than the average food inflation.
"The price hike is being done due to an increase in the overall cost of operation and production of milk. There is a substantial increase in the cost of cattle feed, milk packaging film and fuel during the year," GCMMF said.
The cooperative said its member unions have also increased farmers' procurement price by Rs 30 per kg of fat, which is a 3.7 per cent increase over May 2025.
On the price hike, Mother Dairy said, "The revision has been necessitated in view of the sustained increase in farmer procurement prices, of around 6 per cent over the past one year, despite continued efforts to limit the impact on consumers".
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.