New farm-fresh milk brands like Astra Dairy Farms in Chennai are winning over health-conscious customers across India.

The new producers are milking the growing demand for healthy food. After all, according to a survey by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in 2011, 70 per cent of the milk sold across India is adulterated with everything from water and skimmed milk powder to urea and detergent.

The players are focusing on cow's milk as it's considered healthier because of its low fat content. They're confident their product is superior too. After all, the traditional milk system has several ills. For one, dairies collect milk from hundreds of farmers. "It could be a mix of cow, buffalo, goat or even camel's milk," says Sharma. Then, the animals are injected with hormones and the milk has a high bacterial content.

In Chennai, textile exporter RakeshRavindran and his father M. Ravindran have been selling their Astra Dairy Farms' raw cow's milk for over a year. "Our aim is to provide milk that's on par with Western countries. For what you get in India is not milk, they only claim it's milk," says RakeshRavindran.

In Chennai, Ravindran has also tasted success with his Astra Dairy's raw milk. Astra produces only 450 litres milk daily. But Ravindran's now expanding. He plans to add 100 cows in six months besides installing a pasteurisation unit. "We charge Rs 60 but we have loyal customers who appreciate our quality," he says.