UHT Milk Market in India

The UHT milk market in India size reached 1,156.2 Million Liters in 2023. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach 3,588.2 Million Liters by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 13% during 2024-2032. The growing application in restaurants, bars, and cafes, increasing demand for lactose-free UHT milk, and the thriving dairy industry represent some of the key factors driving the market.

Rising Health Consciousness Among Masses Augmenting Market Growth

The UHT milk market in India has been experiencing continuous growth. The growing health consciousness among urban population of India has significantly raised the demand for UHT milk. Due to the increased working hours, consumers in the urban areas have less time for shopping and prefer to buy groceries in bulk. UHT milk can be stored for a long time as it has a lifetime of six to nine months while providing high quality and nutrition. In addition, the rising awareness about the benefits of consuming healthy diets is supporting the growth of the market. Moreover, the growing population and inflating income levels in India is increasing the demand for UHT milk.

Competitive analysis such as market structure, market share by key players, player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided. The market structure is moderately concentrated due to the presence of key players that accounted for a large portion of the market share. The competitive environment in the market is expected to intensify because of the low capita investment and moderate industry growth. The volume of new entrants is high in the UHT milk market in India due to the low capital investment, large consumer base and developed online retail channels.

What is UHT Milk?

Ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is pasteurized milk that is exposed to ultra-heat for a short time to kill any unwanted and harmful bacteria that may be present in raw milk without losing any of its nutritional content. It is very safe to consume and possess less processing time as it becomes lighter after pasteurization. It provides various nutrients, such as protein, calcium, carbohydrates, zinc, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, riboflavin, and vitamins A and B12. It offers high shelf life at ambient room temperature as compared to fresh milk. It can also be stored with dried goods, with no food safety concerns over its integrity when handled, transported, and stored as an ambient product. It is used in large-scale food service operations, such as catering, hotels, and production kitchens. Besides this, it is utilized in disaster relief operations, emergency food storage facilities, shipping vessels, military, and situations with limited or no access to refrigeration.

COVID-19 Impact:

The emergence of COVID-19 has heavily impacted the Indian UHT milk industry in terms of production halt, supply chain disruptions, demand variation, and raw material shortage. The dairy sector has been facing unprecedented challenges, and it was not possible to completely cut down milk production owing to less demand and supply issues. The supply of dairy raw materials and the output at the same time have faced disruptions. Many areas reported a shortage of fodder for the cattle, and at the same time, there were reports of farmers throwing out their milk in the drain in the absence of procurement. With increased costs and decreased producer prices, the lockdown period proved to be a double-edged sword for the UHT milk companies in the country. Ensured supply of raw materials is a sine-qua-non for any well-organized production process. This is one of the elements in the dairy industry, which has suffered heavily due to lockdown restrictions.

UHT Milk in India Market Trends:

At present, the Government of India is focusing on boosting the dairy sector through various funds and schemes, which represents one of the key factors supporting the growth of the market. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released the 'National Milk Safety and Quality Survey that rules out large-scale adulteration of milk available in the market. This is increasing the quality and quantity of UHT milk sold by various companies. In addition, the growing focus of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has been intensifying milk productivity through genetic improvement with a reduction in input cost. Besides this, multiple measures have been launched to improve milk quality by providing required testing facilities at the village and dairy plant levels for safe human consumption. It is projected to further intensify the Quality Milk Program for both cooperative and private sectors on a fund-sharing basis. Such initiatives by government authorities are paving the way for premium milk products, including the UHT milk category.

Additionally, there is a rise in the number of cows that can survive on poor-quality feed and fodder and have the adaptability to harsh climatic conditions across the globe. This, coupled with the thriving dairy industry in India, represents one of the key factors driving the market. Apart from this, the growing demand for UHT milk in restaurants, bars, and cafes, as it can be transported without cold chains, is offering a favorable market outlook. Moreover, there is an increase in the demand for lactose-free UHT milk due to the rising prevalence of lactose intolerance among children and adults. This, coupled with the growing awareness among the masses about the benefits of consuming UHT milk, is positively influencing the market in India. Besides this, the escalating demand for UHT milk among the vegetarian population to substitute for the unavailability of animal protein from the regular diet is propelling the growth of the market. In addition, the wide availability of UHT milk through various distribution channels, such as hypermarkets and supermarkets, specialist retailers, convenience stores, and online retail stores, is bolstering the growth of the market.

Key Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the UHT milk market in India, along with forecasts at the regional levels from 2024-2032. Our report has categorized the market based on retail vs institutional.

Retail VS Institutional Insights:

• Retail Sector
• Institutional Sector
   

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the UHT milk market in India based on retail vs institutional. This includes retail sector and institutional sector. According to the report, retail sector represented the largest segment due to rising investments in the Indian retail sector. In addition, rapid urbanization, inflating income levels, and the rising nuclear families is strengthening the Indian organized retail sector.

States Insights:

• Karnataka
• Maharashtra
• Tamil Nadu
• Delhi
• Gujarat
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
• Uttar Pradesh
• West Bengal
• Kerala
• Haryana
• Punjab
• Rajasthan
• Madhya Pradesh
• Bihar
• Orissa
   

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Orissa. According to the report, Karnataka was the largest market for UHT milk market in India. Some of the factors driving the Karnataka UHT milk market included the growing health consciousness among the masses, increasing awareness among the masses about the benefits offered by UHT milk, rising preferences of individuals towards nutritious beverages over usual soft drinks, various marketing strategies followed by key market players, etc.

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape in the UHT milk market in India.

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the UHT milk market in India from 2018-2032.
• The research study provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the UHT milk market in India.
• The study maps the leading, as well as the fastest-growing, regional markets. It further enables stakeholders to identify the key country-level markets within each region.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the UHT milk market in India industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.