NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JAN 31
Akshayakalpa Organic, India’s first certified organic dairy company and producer of the country’s most popular organic milk, on Tuesday established a stronger footprint in Tamil Nadu with the inauguration of its Model Organic Dairy Farm at Pooriyambakkam village in Chengalpattu District, located 90 KMS south of Chennai.
- Inaugurates Akshayakalpa Velan Kudil Model Organic Dairy Farm at Pooriyambakkam in Chengalpattu District
- New farm to replicate the best practices created in its Tiptur farm in Karnataka
- Started in 2010 with just three farmers, the Akshayakalpa has since transformed the fortunes of hundreds of farmers in Tiptur with an average three-fold increase in monthly revenue to around Rs 1,00,000
- Plans to build a cluster of over 300 strong farmers in five years in Tamil Nadu
- UK’s development finance institution British International Investment (BII) is a major investor in Akshayakalpa Organic
Thankful to Shri Oliver Ballhatchet, British Deputy High Commissioner to TN and Puducherry who joined our Founder and CEO, Shri Shashi Kumar @thiruka with other dignitaries and farmer friends for the inauguration.
Grateful for all the love and support2/2
— Akshayakalpa Organic (@akshayakalpa) January 31, 2023
Named Akshayakalpa Velan Kudil or ‘farmer’s home’, the new model farm is a replica of its highly successful mother farm in Tiptur in Karnataka. Akshayakalpa works with more than 850 farmers Karnataka and with 300 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Chengalpattu District. Akshayakalpa expects to deliver fresh and healthy organic milk and dairy products to more than 2,00,000 discerning customers over the next five years.
The new farm was inaugurated by Oliver Ballhatchet, British Deputy High Commissioner to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, as the UK’s development finance institution British International Investment (BII) is a major investor in Akshayakalpa Organic. BII joined Akshayakalpa Organic in September 2022, as a key investor along with Rainmatter Foundation, and existing investor Venture Dairy to help fulfill its promise to promote, support, and grow sustainable and regenerative farming while providing access to premium organic milk to its consumers. In its Series B funding round, Akshayakalpa raised $15 million from BII and other investors and has been able to further bring alive its vision to transform livelihood-based agriculture into wealth-creation opportunities for small and marginal farmers and make farming an aspirational vocation for future generations. Today, Akshayakalpa is India’s largest organic milk producer catering to more than 60,000 consumers in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
Shashi Kumar, CEO, and Co-founder, Akshayakalpa Organic said, “Health-conscious consumers are a growing tribe in India that will one day in the near future be strong enough to mainstream organic food in the country. This movement also presents a historic opportunity to bring best practices into Indian dairy farms and improve the economic conditions of our farmers. Additionally, organic farming helps in soil conservation and creates a positive impact on climate change. Akshayakalpa Velan Kudil will work with farmers in Tamil Nadu to achieve the same level of success their counterparts in the Tiptur cluster have achieved. Our success in Karnataka is a good measure of what we expect to do and achieve in Tamil Nadu. We are also delighted at the prospect of expanding our consumer family and winning more hearts in the state.”
Oliver Ballhatchet, British Deputy High Commissioner to India, said: “Through BII’s investment, the British Government is proud to support pioneering companies like Akshayakalpa Organic, who are working to ensure sustainable farming practices which will help to improve food security in India. The UK remains committed to solving the biggest global development challenges by supporting productive, sustainable, and inclusive economic outcomes for all.”
Manav Bansal, Managing Director and Head of India at BII, said, “The inauguration of the Model Organic Dairy Farm is an exciting milestone in our investment with Akshayakalpa and is an example of how our capital can bring about development impact in India. This new farm will not only help to support food security and bring nutritious dairy products to millions of people in India but will improve the livelihood of farmers across the region and inspire the next generation of sustainable smallholder farmers.”
Started in 2010 with just three farmers, the Akshayakalpa has since transformed the fortunes of hundreds of farmers in Tiptur with an average three-fold increase in monthly revenue to around Rs 1,00,000. This success has been achieved largely due to the support of consumers willing to pay a better price for high-quality and nutritious organic milk and dairy products and the Akshayakalpa model that provides multiple sources of income outside the basic revenue from selling milk. Typical Akshayakalpa farmers also grow and sell organic vegetables, coconuts, honey, and eggs to supplement their daily income from dairy.
Akshayakalpa has also created new benchmarks for sustainable farm practices that help produce milk and milk products that are free from antibiotics and chemical pesticide residue. After more than a decade since delivering its first packet of raw milk in 2010, Akshayakalpa Organic has grown into a 700-member plus team of dedicated women and men from a wide range of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds ensuring they move ahead in their mission that justifies the name Akshayakalpa or ‘Infinite Possibilities’.
