KOZHIKODE: In December 2009, when Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (KCMMF) launched ‘Milma Chocolate’, the focus was limited to youngsters. Nearly 14 years on, the company is coming out with its first premium chocolate product -- that too in dark chocolate -- to compete with the other major players in the market.
Milma will launch its dark chocolate and choco fills on state formation day, November 1. It has sourced the cocoa for the purpose from Gujarat.
“High cocoa-content chocolate variants will be launched under the premium chocolate segment,” said quality assurance and marketing manager Murukan V S. “As a first step, we will launch our dark-chocolate product -- with 60-70% cocoa content -- in India, before expanding to other countries, based on demand,” he said.
“The focus this time is to introduce healthy options in the chocolate sector,” said Milma chairman K S Mani. “Since dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect health, the number of takers is increasing. Made from the seed of the cacao tree, it’s one of the best sources of antioxidants, iron, calcium, and other minerals. Studies show that dark chocolate can improve one’s health and lower the risk of heart disease,” he said.
Besides six varieties of premium chocolate, butter and ghee biscuits and bite-size biscuits in small containers will be part of the latest launch.
“The premium chocolate market in the country is currently worth around Rs 20,000 crore annually. We are focused on capturing at least 10% of the market. Since our chocolates will be new to the market, multiple promotional ideas have been planned, including mall promotions and special drives around the country. The new segment will make use of our existing distribution network,” Mani added.