• As part of its expansion plans, Mother Dairy has invested around Rs. 65 crores in its horticulture facility in Mangolpuri, Delhi, with the addition of new processing lines for its famed Safal Frozen Peas and the recently introduced Idli Dosa Batter.
  • The new Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) line – for Safal’s famed Frozen Peas – will double the capacity of the company’s Mangolpuri facility, taking it to 9,000 MT/annum from the existing 4,500 MT/annum.
  • The new state-of-the-art Idli Dosa batter processing line will have a capacity of around 1,500 MT/annum.

Mumbai: Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Hon’ble Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Government of India, today inaugurated a series of expansion initiatives at Mother Dairy’s fruits & vegetables unit in Mangolpuri, Delhi, reinforcing the company’s continued focus on strengthening its horticulture portfolio under its brand ‘Safal’. The inauguration took place in the august presence of Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) & Mother Dairy, Shri Jayatheertha Chary, Deputy Managing Director, Mother Dairy, along with other senior officials from NDDB and Mother Dairy.

As part of the expansion initiatives, Mother Dairy has established new processing lines for Safal’s famed frozen peas and its recently introduced Idli Dosa batter, entailing an investment of around Rs. 65 crores. The new Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) line – for Frozen Peas – at the Mangolpuri Unit will substantially augment capacity, doubling it to 9,000 MT/annum from the existing 4,500 MT/annum, further strengthening Safal’s leadership in the frozen peas segment while enhancing scale and efficiency. Furthermore, the new state-of-the-art Idli Dosa processing line – with a capacity of around 1,500 MT/annum – will enable the brand to foray into newer markets, offering a superior quality product to consumers.

Applauding the initiatives being undertaken, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Hon’ble Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Government of India, said, “NDDB and its subsidiaries are playing a proactive and significant role in navigating a complex operating environment, while continuing to deliver high-quality products to consumers. Their growing contribution towards strengthening India’s dairy and agri-value chains is both noteworthy and impactful. Initiatives across the dairy and horticulture sectors, led by the Government of India and reinforced by NDDB, Mother Dairy, and Safal, are driving meaningful progress – enhancing farmer prosperity, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and contributing to the overall development of the sectors.”

Speaking at the occasion, Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, said, “The initiatives inaugurated today will deliver tangible benefits to both farmers and consumers, strengthening the overall value chain. Safal has played a pivotal role in ensuring better market realization for farmers’ produce, while consistently providing consumers with high-quality products. Going forward, there is a need to enhance Safal’s footprint beyond the NCR region, creating a wider and more reliable market for horticulture farmers, and enabling them to derive maximum value from such initiatives.”

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) & Mother Dairy, said, “At Mother Dairy – a wholly owned subsidiary of NDDB – we are significantly scaling up our horticulture business as part of our broader growth strategy. Through our brand Safal, we are investing over Rs. 750 crores to build a network of modern, integrated processing facilities, including upcoming plants in Itola, Gujarat and Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, along with capacity expansion at our existing facility in Mangolpuri, Delhi. These initiatives will provide direct and assured market access to farmers while enhancing value-added offerings for consumers in both domestic and international markets. With the expansion of our frozen peas processing capacity, we also expect to further strengthen Safal’s farmer network, with the number of farmers associated with peas sourcing from neighbouring states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan set to double.”

Safal, Mother Dairy’s horticulture arm, pioneered the frozen peas segment in the country in the 1990s. Today, Safal Frozen Peas leads the segment and is available across 29 states. With the newly inaugurated processing line, the brand has a collective processing capacity of 17,000 MT per annum for its frozen portfolio, supported by facilities in Delhi and Ranchi. In 2025, Safal introduced Idli Dosa batter, which has since witnessed strong consumer acceptance.

Commenting on the expansion initiatives, Shri Jayatheertha Chary, Deputy Managing Director, Mother Dairy, said, “The frozen and ready-to-cook segments are witnessing strong growth, driven by evolving consumer preferences for convenience and quality. The newly added capacities will enable us to introduce new products such as frozen broccoli, while reinforcing Safal’s leadership in the frozen vegetables segment and expanding our presence in emerging categories such as Idli Dosa batter. By enabling us to process seasonal produce at scale, these capabilities will help ensure year-round availability of high-quality products for consumers, while creating stronger and more reliable market linkages for farmers.” Celebrating the occasion, the Hon’ble Union Minister also felicitated farmers for their long-standing association with Safal, recognising their unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality produce that forms the backbone of the brand’s promise of freshness and reliability to consumers.