Calcutta, May 19: Two different companies own the Mother Dairy brand in Calcutta and the rest of India.

Mother Dairy Ltd of New Delhi, a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), formed the brand in 1974. The company set up milk booths under the brand name in Delhi and Calcutta.

In 1996, the board handed over the management of Mother Dairy in Calcutta, along with the brand, to the West Bengal Milk Federation, a state-level body looking after dairy development activities in Bengal.

Mother Dairy Delhi is a subsidiary of the NDDB and has a separate management, while the Mother Dairy booths in Calcutta and a whole range of dairy products under the same brand are managed by the state milk federation.

“We manage the 700-odd Mother Dairy booths in the city. According to an agreement with the board, even after separation if the Delhi Mother Dairy launches any dairy-based product it is supposed to form a joint venture with the Bengal government,” said Anisur Rahaman, Bengal minister for animal resources development.

Mother Dairy Delhi has tied up with a local company for third party contract production of ice creams in Dhulagarh for sale in Bengal and the eastern region.

“They did not approach us, so we will also go ahead and launch our own products in association with other milk co-operatives in the state,” said Rahaman.

A senior official of Mother Dairy Delhi said, “We launched our ice cream recently and are looking at a 15 per cent market share in the city. Our contract producer has a plant in Dhulagarh.

“The milk booths are managed by the state. It was an NDDB decision to let the state body use the brand name along with the operation flood logo. We have our own products and a pan India network, while they run the show in the state.”

The Mother Dairy Delhi logo has a new look now.

Rahaman said under the board’s management, Mother Dairy in Bengal made a net profit of Rs 11 crore. After the state took over, the company made a net profit of Rs 40 crore.

Mother Dairy Delhi uses the milk booths in Calcutta run by the state to retail their products like ice cream and frozen fruits and vegetables under the Safal brand.