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New Zealand to wear AMUL-sponsored jersey in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

James Wear, who is the commercial director of New Zealand Cricket, said they were keen on a long term partnership with Amul.

Gujarat based dairy giant Amul will be the prime sponsor of the New Zealand cricket team in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy that starts on June 1 in England. Notably, Amul is owned by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Limited.

Speaking on the occasion, RS Sodhi, Managing Director of the company, said that Amul is a bigger brand than Hindustan Unilever Limited. Amul is also sold by 18,000 village cooperative societies outside the formal distribution channel in Gujarat.

“If that is taken is taken into account, the sales turnover of Amul is over Rs 38,000 crore, including the GCMMF revenue of Rs 27,000 crore,” said Sodhi, while announcing the decision to become of becoming the official sponsor of the New Zealand cricket team.

In its latest initiative Amul is planning to expand its chocolate production capacity by five times involving a cost of Rs 150 crore, he said.

GCMMF is also coming up with five new integrated plants in Gujarat, Mumbai, Pune and West Bengal, Sodhi said adding that the annual capital expenditure was Rs 800 crore. Sodhi said there were also plans to enter the markets of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Setting a target of Rs 50,000 crore sales by 2021, Sodhi said that milk production volumes would be increased by 14 per cent yearly with a price increase of six to seven per cent.

Expressing his excitement about the new tie-up, James Wear, the commercial director of New Zealand Cricket, said they were keen on a long term partnership with GCMMF.

“We, on behalf of New Zealand Cricket are very excited. We are looking towards at least a couple of months and hopefully a long term partnership,” Wear said with Kiwi players Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Colin De Grandhomme by his side.

(With agency inputs)