Milk and More

There may not be a chocolate river or the eccentric chocolate maker Willy Wonka (like in Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) to greet you as you walk into Amul's new 1.5 lakh sq.ft chocolate factory at Mogar in outskirts of its headquarters in Anand, but the place surely entices visitors to indulge in chocolates without guilt. One walks from entrance to the production facility looking at life size posters about therapeutic qualities of chocolates that a piece of dark chocolate can keep heart disease away, that chocolates produce endorphins which make one happier, and that a dark chocolate drink can also help in post workout recovery. The trivia on the walls will surely bring a smile on the face of chocolate lovers, especially the weight watchers.

For the Rs 41,000 crore Amul, known as a traditional milk and butter maker, chocolates are a way to connect with the younger consumers. "The Amul brand was considered conservative and old. We were being looked upon as a traditional milk, butter and cheese company. Chocolates have given brand Amul a new image. I am excited about the traction we are getting for our dark chocolates on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram," says R.S. Sodhi, Managing Director, Amul. Chocolates are not a new business for the dairy