Vadodara: Braving geopolitical tensions and logistical disruptions, India's dairy exporters — led by home-grown brand Amul — have clocked record shipments to the Middle East during the West Asia crisis, turning adversity into an export opportunity.
Skimmed Milk Powder Exports Surge
Skimmed milk powder (SMP) exports surged sharply as Gulf importers scrambled to secure supplies amid uncertainty, even as cargo movement remained disrupted at the peak of tensions. The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets the Amul brand, reported an unprecedented spike in exports despite a near standstill in shipping operations for over two weeks.
GCMMF managing director Jayen Mehta said, "We shipped around 2,700 metric tonnes of SMP to Dubai in the last month of the crisis, compared to virtually no exports the previous year. No other Indian company exported SMP in that period either." Highlighting the scale of the surge, he added, "This is 120% volume growth over the same period last year — even in such an adverse global environment."
Logistical Challenges Overcome
The exports came despite significant logistical bottlenecks. "There was a complete standstill between Feb 28 and March 15, with around 15 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) stuck at various stages. Yet, we managed to move 245 TEU after March 15," Mehta said. The data reflects how shipments gathered momentum once bottlenecks eased. GCMMF alone dispatched 245 TEU to Khorfakkan — a strategic transshipment hub on the UAE's east coast — after Feb, including 171 dry containers and 74 refrigerated (reefer) containers of perishable cargo.
While initial consignments were delayed at sea, exports picked up steadily through March and April, with volumes peaking in the latter half of April. Additional shipments were routed to Bahrain, Sohar, Qatar and Iraq, signalling strong demand across the region.
Amul's Regional Strength
Amul's strong export response was underpinned by its deep presence in the region. The cooperative is India's largest dairy product exporter, with its own warehouse in Dubai and a well-established distribution network across the GCC — including Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia — where it enjoys a high market share in branded consumer products such as ghee, butter, paneer and cheese, catering to a large Indian diaspora. It is among the Top 20 food brands in the UAE, according to the Brand Finance 2025 study.
Domestic Growth Continues
The strong export performance comes even as Amul continues to scale new highs domestically. The cooperative recently crossed Rs 1 lakh crore in brand turnover in FY 2025-26 — an 11% rise over the previous year — reinforcing its position among the world's leading dairy players. GCMMF, the world's largest farmer-owned dairy cooperative, represents around 3.6 million farmers and handles daily milk procurement of nearly 31 million litres. Its products — including milk, butter, cheese, ghee and ice cream — are distributed across more than 50 countries, with over 24 billion packs sold annually.
