Tirupati ladoos: KMF regains coveted ghee order

Having lost out bitterly to a Maharashtra-based dairy a few years ago, Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has now successfully bagged the contract for the supply of its iconic ‘Nandini Ghee’ to prepare the famous Laddus of Tirupathi.

The KMF will now supply to the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD) Board 1,400 tonnes of ghee over the next six months.

Caught in the price war, the KMF had lost its long-standing tryst with the Tirupathi laddus to a Marathwada region-based dairy previously. The laddus, acclaimed worldover, were unique in taste due to the use of ‘Nandini Ghee’ and for over 20-years, KMF had continuously supplied ghee to TTD. According to Mrutyunjaya T Kulkarni, director (marketing), KMF has recently been chosen yet again by the TTD Board and orders were placed for the supply of ghee.

Sources in TTD told DH that tenders for procurement of ghee for preparation of laddus are floated twice in a year. “Each tender is valid for a period of six months and the entire quantity of ghee agreed upon in the tender is consumed during that period,” explained an official from TTD.

Besides, the demand for ghee by TTD varies according to the season. Even though the final bidding prices of this year are not known, the KMF had, in 2015, quoted Rs 324 per tin of ghee, while the Maharashtra-based dairy had quoted Rs 276 per tin of the ghee.

The KMF, in its long-standing tryst with TTD, had supplied the quality ghee sourced from its dairies in Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts. The unique taste and aroma of the Tirupathi laddus was reportedly attributed to the quality ghee being used in its preparation, sources said.