Hatsun Agro Product Ltd, the Rs 2,000-crore private dairy company, will focus on Hatsun branded curd and Ibaco chain of exclusive ice-cream parlours during the current year.
By early next year, the company, which has a capacity to handle over 25 lakh litres of milk daily, will add three lakh litres of processing capacity.
Hatsun’s curd production will increase to about two lakh litres a day from 1.25 lakh litres now, said R. G. Chandramogan, Chairman and Managing Director.
The expansion plan covers its Rs 50-crore dairy unit in Tirunelveli, South Tamil Nadu, with a capacity of 30,000 litres a day of curd and 2.5 lakh litres of milk. Some of its existing production facilities will also be strengthened.
Addressing the company’s AGM, Chandramogan said the company is targeting a national presence with Hatsun Curd and Ibaco chain of ice-cream parlours. `Arokya’ has emerged the largest milk brand, he said.
There are 92 Ibaco ice-cream parlours in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and in the next one month the number will hit 100. The company plans to expand the chain to Maharashtra and Odisha.
Ibaco is a premium product with volumes coming from Arun Ice Creams, which is a strong player in the South. It has about 80,000 litres a day of ice-cream production capacity in two plants in Chennai and Salem.