Paras Dairy CMO VPS Malik on Cream Cheese, Digital Marketing and 1,000 Distributors

Paras Dairy is betting on cream cheese, digital-first marketing and a much wider distributor network to grow beyond its core milk and paneer business. VPS Malik, Chief Marketing Officer of VRS Foods Ltd, which owns Paras Dairy, laid out the plan in an interview with Adgully published on 19 October 2026 as part of its CMO Unplugged series.

VRS Foods runs a business of about ₹3,000 crore, with four manufacturing facilities in North India and one in Maharashtra. According to the interview, it is also among the largest exporters of bulk dairy ingredients from India. Therefore, the strategy Malik describes covers three fronts at once: retail, institutional supply and exports.

Paras Dairy cream cheese launch: Galacia joins the cheese range

The newest addition is Galacia Cream Cheese. It extends a cheese business that Paras Dairy started roughly a year ago with mozzarella and processed cheese. Malik said the launch gives the HoReCa team (hotels, restaurants and caterers) a wider basket of dairy products to sell, alongside paneer, butter and the existing cheeses.

He sees cream cheese as an expanding category in India, largely because cheesecake has moved from a niche dessert to a regular on bakery menus. Bakeries once relied on pineapple, Black Forest and dark chocolate flavours. Today, however, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry cheesecakes sit on most menus. As a result, Paras Dairy plans to grow demand through education, showing bakers and chefs how to use cream cheese in cheesecakes, frostings, desserts, sandwiches, wraps, dips and spreads.

Digital-first marketing and chef engagement at Paras Dairy

Malik said digital marketing is the main focus because consumers increasingly discover food online. Two pillars carry the plan. The first is digital campaigns, including influencer work built around finished dishes rather than product features. For example, the company showcases gajar ka halwa, other halwas and gulab jamun made with its products. The second pillar is a series of chef meets in different cities, where chefs see the range and learn how to apply it in their own recipes.

In addition, Paras Dairy uses e-commerce platforms to promote products, schemes and consumer offers. This mix of content, chef trust and marketplace visibility is how the brand hopes to move from an institutional supplier to a recognised consumer name.

Paras Dairy distribution: from 300 to 1,000 distributors

Malik pointed to the growth of Domino’s in India as proof that premium food chains travel well beyond the metros. The chain went from a handful of outlets in the early 1990s to more than 2,000 today, with about 1,200 of them in Tier 2, 3 and 4 towns. Local competitors follow such chains, and the mozzarella that Paras Dairy supplies to HoReCa customers has already helped it build a distribution network that reaches smaller towns.

In Uttar Pradesh, for example, one large distributor manages an area through 10 to 12 sub-distributors, which carries products to cafés and quick-service restaurants. The company now sells across North India, parts of Western India and major South Indian towns through about 300 distributors. Malik expects that number to rise to around 1,000 over the next two years. Cream cheese will target bakeries, cafés, hotels, restaurants, cloud kitchens and QSRs.

Consumer versus bulk: cow ghee leads the Paras Dairy portfolio

About 70% of revenue comes from bulk, institutional, ingredient and export business, and about 30% from consumer sales. The consumer range includes milk, paneer, curd and desi ghee. Cow ghee is the star performer, and Malik said the aim is a pan-India presence backed by wider distribution and heavier marketing investment, with digital channels and e-commerce leading the consumer push.

Protein, paneer capacity and the analogue paneer shake-out

Meanwhile, the company is exploring high-protein versions of its fresh dairy range, including high-protein milk, shakes and paneer. Paneer output currently stands at about 12 tonnes a day. Capacity is being increased and a second production location is planned. A relaunch of UHT cream is also on the cards to strengthen HoReCa distribution.

Malik also welcomed the tighter action on analogue paneer, which he linked to the regulatory push associated with Tukaram Munde. In his view, small players using vegetable fat had been pushed out, and organised dairy has gained. He said the Paras Dairy paneer plant moved from about 50 to 60% utilisation to full utilisation, which is why capacity is being expanded. Restaurant paneer, he added, had declined in quality and taste in many places, so the shift is a positive one.

Outlook: exports, milk protein concentrate and robust growth

Malik described the year as very good for the dairy industry and for the company, citing strength in exports and in ingredients, particularly milk protein concentrate, where only a few players operate. Protein demand is rising, and prices have moved up along with milk prices. He expects robust growth this year for Paras Dairy.

Frequently asked questions

What is Galacia Cream Cheese?

Galacia is the new cream cheese from Paras Dairy, aimed mainly at bakeries, cafés, hotels, restaurants, cloud kitchens and QSRs. It joins mozzarella, processed cheese, paneer and butter in the range.

Who owns Paras Dairy?

Paras Dairy is part of VRS Foods Ltd, a business of about ₹3,000 crore with four plants in North India and one in Maharashtra.

How many distributors does Paras Dairy plan to have?

The company has about 300 distributors today and expects to reach around 1,000 over the next two years, according to VPS Malik.

Which product does Paras Dairy see as its consumer star?

Malik named cow ghee as the star performer in the consumer portfolio, which also includes milk, paneer and curd.

Source: Dairynews7x7 20 Oct, 2026 Read full article here