BENGALURU: Karnataka Milk Federation’s (KMF) much-awaited whey-based idli and dosa batter under the Nandini brand is already struggling to stay on shelves at Nandini parlours: Reason: Not due to a lack of demand but because of erratic supply.
Staff at multiple Nandini parlours say that they rarely receive stock of the batter, despite placing repeated requests.
Soon after the launch, KMF had claimed that supply would be streamlined based on demand after Sankranti. A Nandini salesperson, however,said that even after three months, there is still no consistent flow of the batter. With urban consumers, especially working professionals with tight schedules, increasingly turning to ready-to-cook meal options, the protein-packed breakfast option was expected to be among Nandini’s bestsellers.
Customers, however, point out that the company has failed to keep up with demand, while rival idli-dosa batter brands are gaining ground at the same time by introducing new variants like ragi-based batter and other protein-rich options.
“We were eager to try the whey-based batter as it seemed like a convenient and healthy option. We managed to buy it once, but after that, it was never available again,” Janaki, a resident of RT Nagar, said.
The whey-based idli and dosa batter, after much delay, was launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on December 25. It contains 5% whey protein and is available in two pack sizes—450 grams priced at Rs 40 and 900 grams priced at Rs 80.
Currently, the batter is being sold only at select Nandini parlours in Jayanagar, Padmanabhanagar, Malleshwaram, and Seshadripuram. However, after the initial buzz, the product has largely remained off the shelves, with both customers and parlour staff expressing frustration over the lack of consistent supply.
“Since the launch, we were keen to try the product as Nandini is a brand we usually depend on for most of our daily essentials like milk and curds, but not even once have we been able to find the batter in stock,” Malini, a resident of Malleswaram, said.