Why online milk delivery is taking off in India and not elsewhere

In most parts of the world, buying a carton of milk is no different from buying a pack of beer, a bottle of laundry detergent, or a bunch of bananas. You go to your neighborhood supermarket, pick out your favorite brand of milk in the dairy section, chuck it into the pushcart, and pay for it at the counter. The more tech-savvy shoppers would do all of that via a grocery-delivery app, but the process is more or less the same.

However, it’s a different story in India. Unlike the rest of the world, milk delivery is still very much a thing in Indian cities, towns, and villages. It is not uncommon for your friendly neighborhood milkmen to leave bottles of milk at your doorstep in the wee hours of the morning.

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More than just a unique Indian habit, milk delivery is also a market that could be ripe for change.

India really, really loves milk. In 2018, the country is the top consumer of milk worldwide. In fact, Indians consumed nearly as much milk as the European Union, the US, and China (the next three countries in the top four) combined.

Milk supply and distribution have stepped up in the country to meet astronomical demands. India is responsible for 20 percent of the world’s milk supply, and within the country itself, a huge network of 150,000 milkmen service about 15 million households.

One of the biggest deliverers of fresh milk is a startup called DailyNinja. Founded in 2015, DailyNinja operates on a subscription-based model in partnership with milkmen, milk brands, and B2B grocery distributors across India. Operating in six cities – Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Mysore – the startup is a leader in the field, delivering milk to 60,000 households per day.

The way it works is fairly similar to its existing grocery-delivery service. All users have to do is launch the app, add fresh milk to the basket, then have it delivered right to their doorsteps. There’s no need to order days or weeks ahead of time. DailyNinja offers customers the option to order fresh milk before 11:00 pm and receive their orders by 7:00 am the following day. “This is the most effective way to deliver [fresh milk] to Indian households,” says Sagar Yarnalkar, founder and CEO of DailyNinja.

The DailyNinja app.

Being able to receive fresh milk in the comfort of your own home is one thing. However, being able to receive fresh and safe milk is another.

About 68 percent of fresh milk in India is spiked with water (the most common ingredient), salt, glucose, starch, detergent, paint, and even urea – yes, that’s the same compound found in urine.

There are many reasons why extra ingredients – harmful or otherwise – are added to fresh milk. For example, salt, glucose, and detergents increase the thickness of the milk. Starch, on the other hand, prevents the milk from curdling too fast. Adulteration also cuts production costs, which in turn boosts profit margins.

The immediate effect of drinking adulterated milk is gastroenteritis, which may result in vomiting and diarrhea. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued an advisory to the Indian government stating that if adulteration of milk and milk products is not checked immediately, 87 percent of citizens would be suffering from serious diseases like cancer by 2025.

Going beyond the milk