Value for many. Value for money.

The man at the helm of one of the best Indian brands shared his organisation’s success mantra in front of a city audience on Friday.

Rupinder Singh Sodhi, the managing director of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), was the speaker at the Bengal Chamber of Commerce Leadership Lecture Series, in association with The Telegraph.

“What really worked for us? Consistency, if I have to describe in one word.

Since Amul was founded in 1974, till today, we have adhered to the basic value system. We have not changed just to get more profit. With time, you have to change. But retaining core value is very important,” said Sodhi.

“We have maintained consistency in four major parts — business structure and objective, quality recipes for products, communication and HR practise. What is our business objective? Value for many — providing very stable price to around 3.6 million farmers, whose source of livelihood is milk…. And also provide the best product by using natural ingredients using the latest technology for processing and packaging but at value for money. So that the average Indian consumer can also afford our products. So value for many and value for money, these are our business goals. It means give more to earn more. Give more to the producer, give more to the consumer. Once they are satisfied, your business will grow,” he added.

Amul’s objective, he said, was “diametrically opposite” to any other corporate or business house.

“What objectives are generally given to a CEO by a board? You have to buy your raw material at as low a price as possible. You have to sell your finished product at a price as high as possible, thereby keeping maximum gross profit,” he said.

Amul is the biggest producer of packaged milk in the organised sector and the biggest exporter of dairy products in the country. The organisation registered a turnover of more than Rs 52,000 crore last year. Every day, it procures 29 million litres of milk from 3.6 million farmers.

Sodhi has been at the helm of the dairy behemoth for over a decade.

On Friday, he also spoke at length on the consistency in Amul’s iconic communication strategy, revolving around topical campaigns centred on the little girl in a polka-dotted dress.

“Amul’s communication is unique in the sense that the brand recall is because of the campaign, not the product. You think Sony, a tv comes to your mind. You think of Maruti, the recall is that of a car. But you think of Amul, and the little girl comes to your mind,” said Sodhi.