Mumbai’s Iconic ‘Aarey’ Milk Brand Makes A Comeback — Minus Its Dairy Colony Roots

After several years, Mumbai's well-known milk brand 'Aarey' is set to return to shelves, bringing back memories for many city residents, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report. The state dairy development department has decided to revive the brand, though without its earlier buffalo sheds or dairy processing plants.

Mahananda, a state-run milk cooperative, will now process and sell milk under the Aarey name. "We have written to Mahananda to start processing milk for the Aarey brand at their Goregaon plant," said N Ramaswami, secretary of the state dairy development department. Mahananda currently processes about 80,000 litres of milk daily. The department has asked them to add another 25,000 litres for Aarey milk.

Aarey, owned by the Maharashtra government, was once a key part of Mumbai's milk supply system. The brand was launched in 1949 to deal with milk shortages after India gained independence. To support this effort, the government gave a large forested plot in Goregaon to the Bombay Dairy Development Board. This land later became the Aarey Milk Colony, located near Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Film City.

The brand officially began operations in 1951 and quickly became popular. It offered milk, buttermilk, lassi, and a flavoured milk drink called Energee. Aarey booths were once a common sight across Mumbai, serving thousands of customers every day.

But things changed in 2012. The state government outsourced production to private companies, which paid a royalty to use the Aarey name. This plan did not succeed, and by 2022, Aarey products were no longer being made.

In recent years, the state also stopped milk processing at its centres in Kurla and Worli. These plants were dismantled, and their equipment was sold as scrap in 2023. The land at Kurla has now been given to Navbharat Mega Developers Private Ltd to build homes for people from Dharavi. The Worli dairy will be transformed into a landmark structure under a new government project.

Although Aarey's infrastructure no longer exists, its return in a new form gives hope to those who grew up with its taste and trust.