TG Dairy Federation seeks AP action on ‘Vijaya’ brand misuse

metro india news  I hyderabad

The Telangana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited (TGDDCF) has appealed to the Andhra Pradesh government to immediately stop the unauthorized use of the “Vijaya” brand in Telangana, alleging that substandard milk and milk products are being sold in the state under the brand name through private franchise networks.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, TGDDCF Chairman Gutha Amith Kumar Reddy said the federation has already brought the issue to the notice of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and the AP Chief Secretary seeking intervention in the matter. He said the issue has also been brought to the notice of the Union government. TGDDCF MD K Chandrashekar Reddy was also present in the press meet.

According to the federation, more than 15,000 litres of low quality milk packets bearing the Vijaya name are reportedly being transported into Telangana every day, especially into the Greater Hyderabad region. Many of these packets reportedly do not carry proper packaging details, manufacturing dates, or consumer grievance numbers, causing confusion among consumers. 

As a result, customers who assume these products belong to the Telangana Vijaya brand have been lodging complaints with the Telangana federation’s helpline. TGDDCF officials said they receive several such complaints daily despite the products not being manufactured by them.

The federation further alleged that some private franchisees operating under AP dairy authorities are marketing products such as ghee, curd, paneer and milk using packaging that closely resembles the official Vijaya Telangana branding, misleading consumers. According to the federation, samples of ghee suspected to be sold under the Vijaya label were sent for laboratory testing, which reportedly revealed the presence of vegetable oil residues, indicating adulteration.

Official correspondence submitted by TGDDCF also highlights that after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, both state dairy federations became independent entities, and the Telangana federation has since been operating exclusively within Telangana under the Vijaya brand with its own infrastructure and cooperative network. The federation procures milk from over 1,600 village cooperatives through more than 5,000 collection centres and operates multiple dairies and chilling centres across the state.

TGDDCF further stated that the unauthorized franchise model adopted by AP dairy entities and district unions is creating market confusion, eroding Telangana’s brand identity and causing financial losses to local dairy farmers. The matter regarding ownership and usage rights of the Vijaya brand is currently sub judice before the Telangana High Court, and the federation has urged both state governments to respect operational jurisdictions until a final decision is reached.

Chairman Amith Kumar Reddy warned that Telangana dairy farmers are increasingly agitated over the issue and urged the AP government to immediately cancel franchise agreements that allow private parties to sell products using the Vijaya brand in Telangana. He also advised consumers to verify whether the packaging clearly carries the “Vijaya Telangana” logo and complete manufacturing details before purchasing milk or dairy products to avoid buying counterfeit items.