Amul launches sale of milk through 'ATMs'

Indian dairy giant Amul will now sell milk through automatic teller machines that will be branded ''Any Time Milk'' vending machines.

Amul is currently in talks with the Kheda District Cooperative Bank to work out financial aspects of the project in Anand, while the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul outside the district, is also expected to start vending milk through ATMs outside the district.

While ATM-like machines already vend other products such as chocolates and soft drinks, Amul has gone a step further and will now make available milk 24/7 through ATMs.

Amul installed the first milk vending machine on a pilot basis at the gate of its dairy in Anand, Gujarat, on Sunday.

This will be followed by similar ATMs at other marketing centres of Amul.

''To start with, we plan to set up these ATMs at each of the 1,100 'mandalis' (village-level milk collection centres) in Kheda and Anand districts where we market Amul,'' a Hindu Business Line report quoted Ramsinh Parmar, chairman, Kheda District Milk Producers' Union, better known as Amul Dairy, as saying.

Currently, the ATM is equipped to hold 150 pouches of 300 ml polypacks of milk. The ATM will dispense each pack of `Amul Taaza' milk for Rs10 each.

The machine will read through the Rs10 currency note through a sensor.

Amul proposes to install these ATM machines at different public places in Anand and Kheda towns, to enable consumers to buy milk anytime.