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Parag Milk Foods | The cheese major that launched domestically made whey protein

2026.09.19

Article summary
Parag Milk Foods, established in 1992 and headquartered in Pune, is a dairy company. Its founder is Devendra Shah. It owns the ghee brand "Gowardhan," cheese brand "Go," and whey protein brand "Avvatar," and ranks second to Amul in packaged cheese retail. It has one of India's largest cheese plants and an automated farm with more than 5,000 Holstein cattle, and sells premium milk directly under "Pride of Cows." Consolidated revenue for FY2026 (year ended March 2026) was ₹3,818 crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees), up from ₹3,432 crore the prior year. India's traditional dairy product is paneer, and demand for aged cheese emerged only alongside the spread of pizza and burger chains. It launched whey protein as a byproduct of cheesemaking.
This article is based on what we could verify As of September 19, 2026 This page is based on the disclosures and news reports from each company that we were able to confirm as of that date. Amounts in the text follow the notation commonly used in India, with ₹1 crore = 10 million rupees, and yen figures are approximations calculated at a little over 1.7 yen to the rupee. Store counts, funding raised, and results at Indian companies change over short periods, so when making a business decision, please check the latest information in primary sources such as each company's own announcements.

Parag Milk Foods, established in 1992, is a dairy company strong in cheese and cow's-milk ghee. Beyond the ghee brand "Gowardhan" and the cheese brand "Go," it's also the company that launched India's domestically made whey protein brand, "Avvatar."

Company profile

Item Details
Legal name Parag Milk Foods Limited
Year founded 1992
Headquarters Pune (Maharashtra)
Founder Devendra Shah
Consolidated revenue ₹3,818 crore (FY2026 = fiscal year ending March 2026; about 66.4 billion yen). FY2025 was ₹3,432 crore
Main brands Gowardhan (ghee), Go (cheese), Pride of Cows, Avvatar (whey protein), Topp Up
Facilities One of the largest cheese plants in the country, and an automated farm with more than 5,000 Holstein cattle
Listing Listed on the BSE and NSE

Cheese is hard to make in India

The dairy product eaten nationwide is paneer, a fresh, unripened cheese. There are indigenous aged cheeses such as churpi in the Himalayan belt and bandel in Bengal, but both stayed regional and never became national eating habits. Demand for mozzarella and cheddar emerged only after pizza and burger chains spread.

Aged cheese shows the quality of its raw milk directly. It can't be made from milk that's been watered down to boost volume or had its fat content adjusted. Parag Milk Foods runs an automated farm with more than 5,000 Holstein cattle, managing quality from the raw material stage. Its premium milk, "Pride of Cows," is sold direct from this farm.

Amul leads in packaged cheese retail, and the company's "Go" brand ranks second. It has one of the largest cheese plants in the country.

A product born from a cheesemaking byproduct

Making cheese produces a large amount of whey. It used to be discarded or fed to livestock, but drying and powdering it turns it into whey protein. The company's "Avvatar" is one of the few whey proteins made in India.

India's protein market is centered on imports, and counterfeit products and mismatches between labeling and actual content have been a problem. Being able to make it domestically, start to finish from the raw material, matters in that context.

Consolidated revenue for FY2026 (fiscal year ending March 2026) was ₹3,818 crore, up from ₹3,432 crore in FY2025.

Points for Japanese companies

For running a pizza or burger chain in India, this company is a candidate cheese supplier. Foodservice mozzarella has detailed specifications for melt and stretch, requiring repeated prototyping. A partner with one of the largest facilities in the country is more likely to accommodate that fine-tuning.

It's also one of the few operators that can make whey protein domestically, giving it a connection point for sourcing raw materials for protein foods and supplements. When sourcing for Japan, what needs checking is how far it can meet allergen labeling and residue standards.

Reference Information

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