Hyderabad, Telangana, India | 8th March 2025: Heritage Foods Limited, a leading dairy company offering milk and value-added dairy products, reaffirms its commitment to women’s empowerment in India’s dairy sector.
On this International Women’s Day, the company proudly celebrates the role of women farmers and women franchisees, who are integral to its direct milk procurement network. The company procures its milk through village levels procurement centres which are run by Rural entrepreneurs as franchisees. Today, nearly 40% of our Village level procurement centres are run by women entrepreneurs.
Heritage Foods also prioritizes and promotes of women dairy farmers. While most of the milk produced are by women farmers, Heritage Foods has registered nearly 60,000 women farmers, where money is directly paid into their bank account. Heritage Foods catalyses this rural transformation by injecting nearly 200Cr of easy-terms loans to these village level entrepreneurs, a large part of which goes to women dairy farmers, which is in line with the company’s objective of empowering women and farmers.
Some of the other Women-Centric Initiatives by Heritage Foods:
- Structured capacity-building and leadership programs to equip women with essential business and technical skills.
- Encouraging women-led leadership by appointing them as Heritage Procurement Representatives (HPRs), ensuring greater decision-making power in dairy procurement.
- Nearly 100 out of the 400+ ‘Heritage Happiness Points’ or sales & distribution franchisee units, which is the fastest growing distribution channel for the company are run by women entrepreneurs, who are strongly demonstrating that they can be help build consumer connect for the brand, in a male dominated industry.
In a massive campaign, involving hundreds of company associates, Heritage Foods felicitated more than 1400 of these women entrepreneurs on the occasion of Women’s Day, for their excellence and contribution to the dairy sector.
Mrs. Brahmani Nara, Executive Director, Heritage Foods Ltd., stated, “Women are the backbone of India’s dairy sector, shaping its future with resilience and innovation. At Heritage Foods, we don’t just support women-we empower them to lead. By enabling financial independence, skill development, and leadership, we are driving lasting change. When women succeed, families prosper, communities grow, and the nation thrives.”
Heritage Foods continues to enhance women’s participation in dairy farming through proactive initiatives that drive long-term impact. By organizing village-level meetings, the company encourages more women to take on leadership roles within the sector. Continuous training and mentorship programs equip women with the skills needed to build and sustain successful dairy enterprises, while structured market linkages enable them to maximize their earnings and business potential. Through these efforts, Heritage Foods is fostering a more equitable, self-reliant, and resilient rural economy.
With a steadfast focus on gender inclusion, Heritage Foods is empowering women in agriculture, reinforcing their role as key drivers of India’s dairy industry, and paving the way for a more equitable and prosperous future.
