A STUDY ON CONSUMER AWARENESS & SATISFACTION OF NANDINI MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS IN KARNATAKA

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study, understand and analyze the consumer awareness and satisfaction towards Nandini dairy products in Karnataka. Design/Methodology: The researcher has applied exploratory and descriptive research design by constructing the structured questionnaire and subjected the questionnaire to 100 consumers who are milk and milk product users in Karnataka. Using convenience sampling for data collection. The collected data has been analyzed using simple tools such as averages, percentages and measurement scales were used to arrive at desired results. Findings: In the research it is entrusted that the awareness level and satisfaction level of consumers towards Nandini dairy products in terms of quality, taste, hygiene, packaging, availability etc. is very high in Karnataka. Most preferred products in Nandini by consumers are milk, curd and ghee and Nandini dealers are influencing them towards the purchase. Research limitations/implications: The study is restricted to Karnataka. Originality/value: As dairy products are rich in calcium, proteins, vitamins, potassium, magnesium etc. and irrespective of age people love to consume it and it is known to be healthy. In this regard in this research article we have worked on objectives like to know the Consumer awareness and Satisfaction towards Nandinidairy products which are one of the important tools to measure the success and sales of the products produced by the organization. Proper awareness to consumer about each product makes them feel valued and wins the trust of the consumers and they remain loyal. Also a study is carried out to shade the light on the different aspects that the consumers are satisfied about in Nandini Brand.


ISSN: 2320-5407
Int. J. Adv. Res. 8(05), 234-242 235 Historically it has been one part of small, diverse farms. In the last century larger firms doing only dairy production has emerged. Milk is a bulky product and is perishable in nature. It requires high cost cargo space and shipping as it spoils quickly. It is apparently expensive thing which is beyond the reach of minorfarmers.
Therefore, dairy industries in many countries are organized along cooperative societies. Milk producer cooperatives work in the interest of farmer members and united deal for the benefit of farmers. In many places the cooperative have their own processing plants and they do their own marketing.
Indian dairy sector contributes the large share in agricultural GDP. Presently there are around 70,000 village dairy cooperatives across the country. The cooperative societies are federated into 170 district milk producers unions, which in turn have 22 state cooperative dairy federations.
The Government of India has introduced various schemes and initiatives aimed at the development of the dairy sector in the country. On the other hand, the private participation in the Indian dairy sector has also increased over the past few years. Both national and international players are entering the dairy industry, attracted by the size and potential of the Indian market. Looking forward the market is expected to reach a value of INR 25,491 billion by 2025, exhibiting a Compounded Annual Growth Rate of 16% during 2020 -2025.

Statement of the Problem:
To understand and analyze the consumer awareness and satisfaction towards Nandini dairy products in Karnataka.
Objective of the Study:- 1. To know the consumer awareness towards NandiniProducts. 2. To know the consumer perception about the Nandiniproducts. 3. To know through which channel consumer is aware about NandiniProducts. 4. To know about customer satisfaction in practicalworld.
Literature Review:- Chandrasodan and Mariswamy have carried out this study with an objective to study consumer's satisfaction towards Aavin milk. The study was conducted in the state of Gujarat with the sample size of 140 respondents questionnaire was used has data collection tool. The paper highlights the opinion of consumers. Percentage analysis, chisquare test and garret ranking techniques were used to test the hypotheses framed in the study. The null hypothesis was accepted and hence it was concluded that there is no significant relationship between demographic details of the respondents and the level of satisfaction towards the Aavin milk.
Dhawan, in her work carried out the research to study the concept of consumer behavior towards branded or unbranded milk and milk products and also to identify brand awareness and level of satisfaction of various brands of milk and milk products. The study was conducted in the city of Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh state with the sample size of 150 respondents structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. Selected psychographic characteristics, namely quality conscious store and brand loyalty, conformists, price conscious planner, time and financial constraints were major factors considered in the research. The author has found that the consumption of unbranded milk is popular at Madhya Pradesh. There is lack of awareness among the consumer about the milk they are consuming.
Elanthiraiyan conducted his study with an objective of understanding the consumer satisfaction level towards Amul brand. The study was conducted at Krishnagiri Town with a sample size of 50 respondents through semi structured questionnaire. The factors like place, size and duration of the purchase of Amul products were considered. The tools like percentile analysis and weighted average analysis were used to analyses the data. The author has identified that the awareness of respondents towards Amul products is at satisfactory level.
Harish and Asokan, conducted their study with an objective to find out the awareness level of consumers towards Nandini dairy products at Chamarajanagar and also to find out the satisfaction level towards Nandini products. The study was carried out at Chamarajanagar District with a sample size of 200 respondents. Personal interview and Questionnaire were used for data collection. Tabular analysis and Graphical Presentations were the statistical tools 236 used for data analysis. The authors found that satisfaction level of consumers is considerably high and no respondent was unhappy or dissatisfied with the Nandini Products.
Hedge conducted his study with the objective of understanding the consumer awareness towards Nandini brand. The study was conducted in Shivamogga with a sample size of 100 respondents by way of questionnaire. The factors like thickness, quality, price, taste and availability were considered. The tools like percentile analysis and frequency tables were used to analyze the data. The author has identified that majority of the consumers are aware about the product quality, promotional activities etc. of Nandini dairy products.
Jamwal and Pandey conducted the study with the objective of studying how the individual make decision to spend their resources on items related to consumption in Uttarakhand with a sample size of 152 respondents through questionnaire. The factors like quality, availability, price etc. were considered. The tools used in the study are percentile analysis and Chi-Square test. It is found that Aanchal is the 3rd most preferred brand of milk and the customers are satisfied with the quality, price and other aspects of Aavin milk.
K and A, conducted their study with the objective of studying the consumption pattern, brand preferences, satisfaction level and prediction of sale of dairy products in the forthcoming future. The study was conducted in Madurai District with a sample size of 200 respondents with the help of interviews. The factors such as age, gender, education etc. were considered and the tools such as percentile analysis, rank correlation, likerts scale were used to analyze the data. The study has generated results stating that the lifestyle of the customers and their fat contents on the body influence the attitude towards milk consumption.
Karthikeyan conducted their study with an objective of assessing the level of consumer satisfaction towards Aavin milk products at PollachiTaluk. The survey was conducted at PollachiTaluk of Coimbatore District with a sample size of 200 respondents. Convenient sampling method was used for selecting the respondents for this survey. The data was collected through comprehensive interview schedule and data sheets. The factors such as quantity and source of purchase, reasons for purchase, tenure of purchase and consumption pattern of milk products were considered. Statistical package for social science was used for data analysis. The study reveals that majority of the consumers purchase the dairy products from the dealers and consider the quantity, price and other related aspects.
Kasthuri and Nathiya conducted their study with an objective of assessing the level of consumer satisfaction and the reasons for consuming the Arokiya milk in Tamil Nadu. The study was carried out in the state of Tamil Nadu with a sample size of 200 respondents through a questionnaire. The factors like demographic profile and reasons for purchasing Arokiya milk were given importance. The tools like percentage analysis and weighted average analysis were used to analyses the data. The authors have assessed that the consumer frequently change the satisfaction behavior based on the trend, style and fashion and it was also found that taste is the important factor to purchase Arokiya Milk.
Mary, she carried out her study with the objective of finding out customer satisfaction and awareness towards Aavin milk. The study was conducted in Trichy with a sample size 120 respondents with the help of a well-designed questionnaire. The factors such as guarantee, availability, quality and reputation were considered for the study. The tools used in analyzing the information are percentile analysis and Chi-Square test. The author has found that out of 120 respondents 95% of them consume milk and most of them prefer Aavin milk for consumption.
Mary and Bai carried out their study to examine the impact of variables on customer satisfaction and to study the demographic features of consumers in using packaged milk. The study was carried out at Chennai with the sample size of 100 respondents. Personal information, the choice of the customers of packaged milk and variables of customer satisfaction are the important factors studied. Simple random sampling and convenience sampling techniques were the methods used for selecting the sample for the study. The required data was collected through questionnaire. The authors have found that the consumers do not rely on advertisement in taking decision for purchasing the brand and customers are highly satisfied with their preferences and satisfied customers are loyal towards the brand and prefer to use the same brand.
Mwangi, Kabare, and wanja, conducted this study with an objective to know the influence of perceived services quality on customer satisfaction amongst Dairy Milk in Kenya. The study was conducted in Kenya with a sample size of 384 respondents with the help of semi structured questionnaire which was self-administered. Descriptive 237 statistics and regression analysis were used to analyze data. The results of this study showed that, a positive significant relationship exists between the perceived services quality and consumer satisfaction.
Niezurawski conducted his study with the objective of depicting how a typical consumer behaves when exposed to several products in the market and the criteria he opts to choose one among such products. The study was conducted in Poland with a sample size of 300 respondents with the help of a scheduled questionnaire. The factors such as family, mood, hunger, quality, taste etc., were taken into consideration. Percentile analysis was used to analyze the data collected. The author has found that the family plays an influential role in taking the ultimate decision of purchasing the product.
Parekh, tried to find out the customers satisfaction level towards Amul milk. This study was conducted at Bhavnagar district with a sample size of 50 respondents. The study was an exploratory research study and collected the data through a questionnaire. Price, quality and availability were the important factors considered for the study. The author found that the product is good and well satisfactory from the consumer point of view.
Pooranki conducted his study with the objective of focusing on the brand preference and its association with customer satisfaction. The study was conducted in Bangalore with a sample size of 100 respondents through questionnaire. The factors considered in the study are taste, freshness, packaging availability. The tool used in the study was percentile analysis. The author has found that the customers of Bangalore city are very much satisfied with the milk products of Nandini and are expecting offers, discounts and better quality in the future days.
Priyanka and Kumar conducted their study to assess the consumer awareness and customer satisfaction level towards Sangam dairy. The study was carried out at Guntur with a sample size of 100 respondents through a questionnaire. Price, availability and awareness of the products were the factors considered for the study. The authors found that the consumers want to change the price of the Sangam products and also that customers felt good about the quality of the products, it was also found that the customer satisfaction level is good towards Sangam dairy products.
Samuel carried out his study to know awareness of people and preference of AMUL milk with comparison to other competitive brands. The study was carried out at the different retail outlets of Raipur with a sample size of 100 respondents. The data was collected via direct interview through questionnaire. Percentage analysis and graphical method was used for data analysis. Willingness to purchase milk was the important factor considered for the study. The author found that majority of the customers is satisfied with the AMUL milk and milk products because of its good quality, reputation and easy availability.
Shabbir carried out his study to understand customer satisfaction towards Sudha liquid milk in Kosi region. The study was conducted at the Kosi region with a sample size of 100 respondents. The data was collected through questionnaire. Chi-Square test was used as data analysis tool for the study. The author has found that the majority of people are aware about all the products of Sudha brand and every consumer likes to buy Sudha products in Kosi region.
Sumathi carried out the study to determine the level of satisfaction regarding various aspects of branded milk. The study was conducted at Coimbatore city with a sample size of 100 respondents. Percentage analysis, Chi-Square test and 5 point scaling techniques were the various tools used for analyzing data. The authors found that there was need to strengthen the supply chain and logistics and use intermediaries to promote and make their products available to the end consumer.
Vinayagamoorthy, Sangeetha, and Sankar, conducted their study to analyze the socioeconomic factors of packaged milk customer and consumer satisfaction towards Aavin milk in Salem city. The study was carried out in the Salem city with a sample size of 150 respondents. The respondents were selected by convenient random sampling technique. The required data was collected through questionnaire. Personal information and consumer satisfaction of packet milk were the important factors considered for the survey. The authors have found that the customers prefer taste and new style of package it was also found that the share of consumer expenditure on milk and milk products is increasing both in urban and rural areas.

Growth Trends of Indian Dairy Sector from 2016-2020:An Overview of Future Growth: A study of India's dairy sector 2017:
India is the world's largest consumer and producer of dairy. The dairy industry in India was worth INR 5,000 billion in 2016. India is globally known as largest milk producing country since 1997. In India, the co-operatives and private dairies have access to only 20% of the milk produced. Approximately, 34% of the milk is sold in the unorganized market while 46% is consumed locally. This is in comparison to most of the developed nations where almost 90% of the surplus milk is passes through the organized sector.
The Indian ice cream industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the dairy or food processing industry. Ice cream market in India was estimated to be over INR 4,000 crores, and was growing at a rate of 15-20% year-onyear. It was projected that by 2019, the market will reach a value of approximately INR 6,198 crores.
In India, ice cream industry is mostly regional and there is a multitude of brands focusing on only one or two districts or in some case only one state. There are very few national brands and the major reason behind slow growth of the smaller players is the high perish ability of ice cream products. It was growing at 12-15% annually; the future prospect of India's ice-cream market was promising for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers. While a number of regional players had already started expanding, the entry of new players has further intensified the struggle to get a bigger market share. The small and medium ice cream manufacturers in India were being able to enhance their product range, volumes and profitability by utilizing the more affordable Chinese equipment's.
It was expected that the Asia Pacific cheese market will double its present size of USD 8.3 billion to reach approximately USD 15.5 billion by the year 2021. India and China are the two countries in this region with a fast growing cheese market.
Analysts believe that the cheese sector in India was also set on rapid growth. Utilizing the benefits of an integrated distribution and sales system and employing diversified sourcing was the way forward in the sector. The value added dairy industry segment was expected to attract investments and entry of new players in the coming years. Players were emphasizing on offering the consumer better quality differentiated products. Consumers were looking for more and more healthy dairy options and introduced such cheese options to see traction in the market. It has been projected that the Indian cheese market will grow at a CAGR of approximately 31% during 2015-2020, in terms of sales values.

Dairy sector: Indian economy's milch cow:
Milk was the largest crop in India in terms of value-at `6.5 lakh crores, it's more than the total value of paddy and wheat put together. On the annual session of the International Dairy Federation's World Dairy Summit in the scenic city of Daejeon in South Korea, India was concluded the toast of the world. From a largely captive market despite being the world's largest milk producer in the country is emerging as a major exporter now, with production poised to outstrip domestic consumption soon.
Brimming with evident pride, India's representative to the conference RS Sodhi, the managing director of the Rs 40,000 crore Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) the cooperative dairy giant better known by the name Amul exults, -India's decadal milk production growth, pegged at 4.8% CAGR, was twice that of global milk production, which was growing at 1.8% CAGR. In the past five years, this has improved even more to 5.4% CAGR.‖ While world milk production during 2017 stood at 849 MMT (million metric tonnes) or 232 croreliters per day, India alone accounted for almost 20% of this, at 174 MMT, followed by the US with 97.7 MMT. Going ahead, India's milk production was expected to outperform global production and grow to 185 MMT per annum, and surpass the EU to emerge as the largest dairy producer by 2020. Despite being ranked number one in milk production, per animal productivity was 1,806 kg a year, whereas the world average is 2,310 kg.

Adaptation of newer technologies to help improve productivity:
The dairy sector in India grew at a rate of 6.4 per cent annually in the last four years against the global growth rate 1.7 per cent and the aim is to improve milk productivity per animal further, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Technologies adopted under RashtriyaGokul Mission such as embryo transfer technology, creation of facility for sex sorted semen production and genomics selection would help to improve the productivity. Initiative was taken to engage about 80 million rural Indian households in milk production with very high proportion being landless, small and marginal farmers.
Dairy industry in India 2020 edition: market size, growth, prices, segments, cooperatives, private dairies, procurement and distribution: India has been the leading producer and consumer of dairy products worldwide since 1998 with a sustained growth in the availability milk products and milk. Dairy activities form an essential part of the rural Indian economy, serves as an important source of employment and income. India also has the largest bovine population in the world. However, the milk production per animal is significantly low as compared to the other major dairy producers. Moreover, mostly all of the dairy produce in India is consumed domestically, with the majority of it being sold as fluid milk. On account of this, the Indian dairy industry holds tremendous potential for value-addition and overall development. According to the latest report by IMARC Group, titled -Dairy Industry in India 2020 Edition: Market Size, Growth, Prices, Segments, Cooperatives, Private Dairies, Procurement and Distribution‖, the dairy market in India reached a value of INR 10,527 Billion in 2019.
The dairy industry in India serves as a tool of socio-economic development Along with offering profitable business opportunities. Keeping this in view, the Government of India has introduced various schemes and initiatives also aimed at the development of the dairy sector in the country. For instance, the -National Dairy Programmed (Phase-I)‖ aims to improve cattle productivity, expanding the rural milk, increase the production of milk expanding, strengthening and procurement infrastructure and provide greater market access to the farmers.
On the other hand, Indian dairy sector private participation has also increased over the past few years. Both international and national players are seen entering the dairy industry due to the size and potential of the Indian market. The focus is being given to value-added products such as cheese, yogurt, probiotic drinks, etc. They are also introducing innovative products keeping in mind the specific requirements of the Indian consumers. These players are also improving their milk procurement network which is further facilitating the development of the dairy industry in India. Looking forward, the market is expected to reach a value of INR 25,491 Billion by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of around 16% during 2020-2025.

Research Methodology:-
The researcher has applied exploratory and descriptive research design by constructing the structured questionnaire and subjected the questionnaire to 100 consumers who are milk and milk product users in Karnataka. Using convenience sampling for data collection. The collected data has been analyzed using simple tools such as averages, percentages and measurement scales were used to arrive at desired results.

Data Analysis and Interpretation:
1. It is analyzed that almost every respondent agree to consume milk on daily basis. 2. With respect to the brand awareness it is found that 99% of the respondents have heard about the Nandini brand and its products. 3. With respect to the brand of milk consumed by the respondents it is found that 85% respondents use Nandini brand milk while 9% respondents purchased milk from the local vendors, 5% respondents purchased Amul milk & only one respondent used Dodla milk. 4. In terms of quantity of milk consumed by individual every day it is researched that 37 people consume half liter milk everyday while 32% respondents consumed one liter of milk each day. 13% consumed less than half liter of milk while 18% consumed more than half liter milk. 5. Promotional channel through which the consumer gets to know about the Nandini dairy products, 45% respondents said they get to know about the various Nandini products from the dealers who play an important role in spreading awareness about the Nandini products. While 28% respondents were aware due to TV ads and 19% respondents felt that Nandini is a house hold name. 6. In terms of availability of the Nandini products 97% people agree to the fact that Nandini dairy products are easily available whenever needed. While 3% respondents were not sure about the availability of the Nandini dairy products. 7. While rating the availability of the Nandini dairy products it was found that 70% were pretty happy with the availability while only 6% respondents remain neutral towards availability of Nandini dairy products and rated it 3 out of 5. 8. 90% of respondents are aware about all the various products produced and marketed under Nandini brand, while 2% were not completely sure about being aware about all the various products of Nandini dairy and 8% knew few products of Nandini. 9. 90% of the respondents are very happy and suggest Nandini dairy products to their friends and families, while only one respondent disagreed for suggesting Nandini dairy products to others and other 9% only consume it. 10. When most popular Nandini dairy products awareness level was analyzed it was found that Milk, Ghee & Curd are the product that every respondent know well about, while Khova and Mysore pak are the 2 least aware products of Nandini dairy. 11. With respect to the preferred buying store for Nandini products, 58% respondents buy the products from Nandini Outlets while 39% respondents got it from the Retail Stores or nearby shop and only 3% of them got the Nandini products delivered to the door steps (Home Delivery). 12. In terms of consumer perception towards type of milk to consume, 62% of respondents use Toned Milk, while 23% respondents use Standardized milk, only 2% respondents were found to be using slim milk and rest 13% respondents use Homogenized milk. 13. While understanding consumer behavior for purchasing specific milk, it was found that 85% of respondents purchase Nandini milk because of its quality while 17% respondents purchased it due to its easy availability. 14. With respect to the next most consumed product after milk we could gauge that 61% respondents agreed to be consuming curd regularly, while 22 respondents said they consumed Ghee on regular basis. Rest other products were minimal in consumption, has only 3 respondents each agreed to be consuming Butter and Butter Milk on daily basis. 15. In the consumer satisfaction level towards the packaging of the Nandini products, 95% people were found to be satisfied with the packaging and rated it as 5. While just 5% respondents remain neutral about it and rated it as 3, but no respondents were found to be dissatisfied with the packaging. 16. 82% consumer expectations towards with Nandini products was met, while just 2% respondents expectations were found to be not met, rest of them didn't really bother about it. 17. With respect to the reason why Nandini products failed to fulfill the expectations of consumers was 17% were unhappy with the recent price hike of 2 Rs. per liter and expected the price to reduce and water content is more. While 8 respondents felt Nandini products were not much easily available for their needs.

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18. 75% of respondents agree to the fact that Nandini products are more Hygiene than other products while 5 respondents didn't agree to this fact. 19. 96% agree that they are satisfied with the quality of Nandini dairy products while remaining respondent were found to be dissatisfied with Nandini products. 20. 93% respondents gave Nandini dairy products a good rating and they are very happy with the quality of the Nandini dairy products. 6 respondents rated it to be neutral on quality aspect of Nandini products while only one respondent was found to rate Nandini quality as lowest.

Findings:
1. 99% of respondents are aware about Nandini dairy products and 85% of the respondents consume Nandini products every day. 2. Dealers are the major influencers and source of spreading awareness about different Nandini products. 100% of respondents agree to the fact that Nandini products are easily available at the market. 3. 98% of the respondents are aware about all the various Milk products manufactured and marketed under Nandini brand. And 90% of them are happy to suggest Nandini products to their friends and family. 4. 76% respondents buy Nandini products because of its quality. With 61% and 22% respectively Curd and Ghee is the next most consumed product of Nandini brand after milk. 5. 97% of respondents are happy with the packaging of Nandini products. 75% agree to the fact that Nandini products are more Hygiene than other brand products. 6. Nandini products fulfill the expectations of 82% respondents, while 16% respondent expectations were found to be half met. 7. In general overall 96% respondents were found to be satisfied with the Quality of Nandini products.
Suggestions:-1. Nandini should start an awareness program among the consumers for its other products such as Khova and Kesar Peda. 2. Dealers have proved to be the biggest promotion channel for Nandini products and hence the company should also think to invest on other promotional channel to reach maximum customers. 3. The products like flavour milk, sweet lassi and Khova has a potential to develop market for them, but not many consumers are aware about this products. So the organization must make sure all this products are also included in promotional ads for spreading awareness. 4. Price, quality and availability are the major factors that give an edge to the Nandini products. But Nandini products are yet to reach every corner of the city and hence new outlets at the places where there is zero existence of Nandini products should be thought off. 5. Certain consumer need the change in prices of the product, hence the organization must look to provide the products at a very competitive price, has there are many competitors who are providing similar products at bit lower price. 6. Organization enjoys customer loyalty due to the quality of its product. Hence the organization should try to keep upgrading its quality with time. 7. Toned milk, standardized milk and homogenized milk are the types of milk consumer are aware and use on daily basis. Whereas, very few customers are aware and use slim milk hence marketing strategies for improving awareness of slim milk should also be considered.

Conclusion:-
Dairy industry is expected to grow in the coming years as it is growing currently. With the increase in population demand and consumption of milk is also growing. It is clear that there are going to be new emerging markets concentrating on production of milk with long shelf life. With the increasing demand for the dairy products the organization need to upgrade their technology timely so as to meet the demand with proper supply.
Nandini is one of the oldest and famous dairy brands. It has loyal member farmer who supply the milk each day. The organization not just strives for the benefit of its members but it also provides various services to keep the cattle of the member farmers healthy. It also provides quality cattle food to its member farmers.

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As per the result obtained from my research 99% were found to be aware about Nandini brand and its products while 94% of customers are happy with the availability of the Nandini products, 96% of customers are pleased with the packaging and over 93% are satisfied with the quality of Nandini dairy products.