The story of this brand is beyond any ordinary business; much more than commercial endeavour, it is a zeal. Heritage Foods, coming from one of the most selfless political leaders, Hon. Chandrababu Naidu (Ex-CM Andhra Pradesh), aims at empowering farmers and promoting prosperity in villages.
The inception was amidst the chaos and challenges of the early '90s, a period etched in history for India's economic liberalization. Amidst this whirlwind of change, one man's determination sparked a revolution that would resonate across generations. In a time of crisis, Chandrababu Naidu saw opportunity—to uplift farmers and delight homes with farm-fresh goodness.
Seeding Empowerment: Naidu's Resolve Amidst Crisis
This visionary leader hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district, witnessed the plight of farmers during the financial crisis of '91. The district's cooperative dairies struggled to make ends meet, leaving farmers stranded with surplus milk, destined for waste on the roads. It was in this time of adversity that Naidu made a bold decision to put forth his own resources into procuring surplus milk from farmers.
When private participation in the dairy sector was newly permitted, Heritage emerged as a hope for many farmers with their principles of integrity and transparency. The company stood firm on its principles—ensuring absolute transparency in dealings with farmers, prompt and accurate payments, and empowering measures to elevate the livelihoods of those at the grassroots level.
Farm to Home: Fresh & Pure All Along
Over the last 3 decades, the company expanded its reach, sourcing milk from 11,400 villages across nine states, procuring over 1.6 million liters of milk daily from more than 2.5 lakh farmers. Heritage operates strategically in 9 Indian states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, etc. Continually expanding, the organization adds new villages in each state every month, enhancing its outreach and procurement capacity. The milk collected from these villages is channelled to approximately 197 chilling centers, strategically located within 40 to 50 kilometers. Milk from these chilling centres is transported to 17 processing facilities spread across 6 states. The milk, after undergoing processes like pasteurization and standardization to create various milk variants, is packed and dispatched as per market demand, reaching consumers within 24 hours.
With innovation and a pulse on consumer needs, the company diversified its product range— pioneering packaged curd, flavored milk, ghee, cheese, and a medley of dairy delights that transformed household consumption habits.
Renowned for its market impact, the company has consistently earned recognition for its outstanding brand reputation and innovative advertising campaigns. Recently, Blinkit honored Heritage Foods for achieving the highest customer retention rate—an acknowledgment of the company's ability to retain consumers due to the unmatched value and trust it offers. Moreover, the company has been conferred with Golden Peacock award for corporate governance and is 9 times repeat winner of National Energy Conservation Award, proving its commitment to sustainability and efficiency, receiving this prestigious accolade nine times from the central government department.
Cultivating Progressive Futures
“It has been 31 years now and our pledge has remained steadfast. We have decided on three payment cycles monthly—on the 11th, 21st, and 31st—regardless of circumstances, ensuring our farmers receive their pay. Over 1000 cycles in 31 years, not a single cycle was missed. Beyond monetary advantage, we empower farmers through livestock enhancement, breed improvement, subsidized high-quality feed, fair farm loans, and fostering increased animal population and productivity,” highlights the respected CEO of Heritage Foods, Srideep Kesavan.
Speaking of the market opportunities, he shares “In the Indian context, per capita dairy consumption is around 350g (grams). Though this has grown significantly in the last 2 decades, it is still below the levels of Western countries that hover around 800g per person. The curd consumption is less than 100g per day, cheese and other dairy are almost negligible. With that being said, there is a lot of room for growth and transformation. As told, while we are putting our 100 percent to accomplish the first pillar of our vision – empowering the farmers; the second pillar, building a healthy consumer group is still lagging behind because the consumption is less. Our goal includes a cultural shift towards higher dairy consumption. While India ascents to become a strongest economy, we recognize the importance of fostering a robust workforce thriving on nutritious food. To this end, we aim to not only achieve a revenue milestone of 6000 crores in the next three years but also envision a future where our impact expands, contributing to a healthier and dairy-conscious India," he shares.
As the sun rises each day, Heritage Foods doesn't merely see success in profits; they witness it in the smiles of farmers, the satisfaction of consumers, and the enduring legacy of empowerment they continue to cultivate. For them, the journey isn't about arriving at a destination; it's about the everlasting pursuit of fulfilling lives, one farm and one household at a time.
