Gyan Fresh: Digital Transformation of Dairy Business with Resilience and Technology Innovation

Gyan Dairy, headed by the Agarwal brothers, was a privately held subsidiary of C. P. Milk, started as a small dairy unit in 2007. Gyan Dairy became one of the largest regional players in the state of Uttar Pradesh (India). The Indian government imposed the most strict and longest lockdown in 2019 to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. This raised severe challenges for businesses, especially the dairy industry, which relies heavily on the movement of people and vehicles to ensure the delivery of products to consumers. Gyan dairy launched Gyan Fresh app to integrate the app-based home delivery business model for its dairy products. This case discusses the story of Gyan Fresh, which enabled self-orders and brought disruptive changes in the Indian dairy market and consumer behaviour. Furthermore, the case discusses the challenges and the next steps to expand the business, retain consumers and streamline the distribution channels.